Say You Won't Let Go
by CentrumPermanebit
Summary: SEQUEL TO LOST GIRL. Karina has lost her memories and she's now living in New York with Emma and Henry. She's constantly dealing with fits of rage and sadness that others swear will go away but the mysterious boy promises her it won't unless she talks to him. Karina has to gain her memories back before she loses everything for good. Full summary inside. Rated M for violence/smut.
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **Summary:** To anyone looking from the outside in, Karina's life couldn't get any better. She's living in New York with her adoptive family, Emma and Henry, she has a boyfriend named Zach, great friends and she's going to a private art school… But while Karina's life may seem perfect to outsiders it is actually anything but. Karina has been suffering from severe bouts of rage and overwhelming sadness. She's also been having dreams of herself living another life that she doesn't fully understand and now the two lives battle each other inside her head. Her therapist says it's something that will pass but the mysterious boy who is now following her promises it won't stop until she listens to him. When Emma forces Karina to go back to a strangely familiar looking town Karina finds herself faced with all her past demons that she no longer remembers. It becomes a race for Karina to gain her memories back before those demons kill her and she loses everything for good.

 **Say You Won't Let Go**

 **~ Chapter One ~**

"I keep having these nightmares… The girl looks like me and she sounds like me but she's doing stuff I've never done. She's with people that I've never seen… And…" I trail off and bite my lip as I look down at my hands. When I first came in here my plan was to tell him everything, but now as I think about it I'm incredibly unsure.

"And?" The therapist asks expectantly. He's an old man and looks very much like the stereotypical therapist. When Emma first introduced him to me I was ready to walk out right then and there because I refused to divulge all my secrets to someone who looked like him. He has the crazy white Einstein hair, the thick rimmed glasses and the tweed jacket. He always says 'hmm' and 'I see' whenever I talk to him. He's supposed to be one of the best in the business. When I first met him I didn't like him and it took me a long time to trust him enough to speak to him about my nightmares. But I've been seeing him for almost a year now and I've actually grown to like him.

"And… In my nightmares… I'm killing people." I whisper the last part and firmly shut my eyes. I've been tossing around the idea of sharing this horrific thought for several weeks now. The nightmares of me killing people has been haunting me for months. I've been afraid to tell anyone because I don't want to get locked up in some psych ward and forced to wear a straitjacket.

"Hmm…" The therapist whose name is Dr. Roberts muses over my confession. "And how long have you been having these nightmares?"

"A couple of months… At first, I was dreaming of another life… But then it slowly became more and more violent… Soon I was doing things I would never do and then I started killing people. Last night… I dreamt that I stabbed a man in the neck and watched him bleed out and die at my feet." I swallow thickly. "When I woke up I could've sworn the blood was still on my hands. I started screaming and Emma had to come in and calm me down…"

"I see… And you say that these dreams started a year ago?" Dr. Roberts asks.

"When we moved from Boston to New York, yes. Before that… I don't remember much but I know I didn't have these nightmares." I shake my head sadly. "These nightmares have steadily been getting worse. Before I just dreamed it, but now it seems like I wake up and it's still happening. The blood of the people I killed in my dreams is still on me."

"Karina, I believe what you are experiencing is a thing called sleep paralysis. It can be accompanied with hallucinations and terrible fear." Dr. Roberts explains with a creased brow.

"So, what? Does it cause people to go insane?"

"No, no, of course not, my dear. It's something that many people deal with and you can help treat it by simply improving your sleeping habits and of course, continue taking that prescription I gave you for your anxiety." He smiles kindly at me as he twirls his pen around in his hand.

"I can't keep living like this Dr. Roberts… I wake up _screaming_. It takes Emma ages to calm me down and I know she'd never say it, but I know she's getting annoyed with me. She didn't sign up for this when she adopted me." I start to shake my head wildly, feeling flustered.

"Emma knew exactly what she was getting into when she adopted you. Karina, you were an orphan who lost her parents in a tragic accident and you were living on the streets. No person would expect you to be perfect. But look how far you've come! You're going to a wonderful arts school, you have friends and a boyfriend. Don't let these awful dreams hold you back from your true potential." He smiles again but I'm so caught up in my own thoughts I barely notice it.

"How can it not? I've been dreaming that I've been _killing people_! That must mean I'm psychotic. Who does that? In my dreams I _like_ killing people." I jump to my feet feeling my anger start to rise.

"Karina, I need you to calm down." Dr. Roberts replies soothingly as he holds out his hand out to me. He shows no signs of fear despite my temper flaring. I've thrown fits before in my rage and I've also broken down crying in front of him. He's seen me at my most emotional times and not once did he seem fazed by it.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" I shout angrily. "I'm so _sick_ of people telling me to calm down! I have every right to be angry!"

"Yes, Karina, you do. But you do not need to be so angry you abandon all reason… Now, I need you to practice those deep breathing exercises we practiced in one of our first sessions. Remember those? Take deep breathes and count until you feel yourself calm down." His calm, soothing voice breaks through my anger and reminds me that I can't go flying off the handle again. Not if I ever want to get out of these therapy sessions. Emma's been forcing me to go ever since I beat up another girl so bad she was in the hospital for weeks. She told me it was the only way to keep me out of legal trouble.

I start to take deep breathes and start counting in my head until slowly the anger starts to dissipate and I sit back down in the big cushiony seat. "Sorry…" I mumble.

"It's ok. You controlled it and that shows just how far you've come since our first session." Dr. Roberts nods his head approvingly. "I know you've been experiencing vast shifts in your moods from angry to sad but I am still reluctant to diagnose you with anything. I truly believe these emotions are coming from your past problems of losing your parents and now they are manifesting in your dreams. I think we can work through this together, it will just take some time."

"Dr. Roberts, my mood changes are so extreme it feels like one minute I'm angry enough to hurt someone, and then the next I'm so sad it feels like someone took a sledge hammer and beat my heart with it. And it's just gotten worse with time… Shouldn't this stuff be getting better not worse?" I'm desperate for him to give me some kind of hope that things will eventually get better.

"These kinds of things can never be given a timeline. It all depends on you and your mind. We'll work this out together, Karina. I promise you that you'll be happy one day." Dr. Roberts smiles again. "On that note, I'm afraid we'll have to end our session here, but I will see you in two weeks."

"Ok. Thanks." I mutter glumly. I don't feel like this session helped me at all. Sometimes I leave feeling a little bit of hope, but today I feel like I'd just been hit by a pick-up truck. I grab my bag and leave his office.

Emma swore to me that he was one of the best therapists in the business but sometimes I wonder if she lied to me. He seems like he's good at his job, I'm not denying that. But it seems like he doesn't really understand what I'm going through. I tried to explain to him that it feels like my heart was broken but he insists its because of the loss of my parents. To be honest, I can't even remember the faces of the parents I lost and I don't feel sadness about their deaths when I think about it. I would never admit it to anyone because I think that makes me a terrible person, more so than my dreams have already done.

"Hey, how was the session?" Emma asks once I walk out of the building. The sun beats down on us as Emma hands me an ice cream cone piled high with cookie dough ice cream. She always brings me ice cream after my sessions with Dr. Roberts in an effort to help me feel better.

"Sometimes I wonder if they really help." I grumble as we start to walk through the busy streets of New York back to our apartment.

"They have to be helping at least a little bit… Your anger problems have improved immensely! I've noticed it and so have your teachers. You haven't gotten into a fight in at least two weeks… That's a whole new record for you." Emma tries her best to cheer me up but after today's session I don't think much will help my mood.

"So, is Walsh still taking you out on a date tonight?" I ask as I try to lighten the mood. What Emma doesn't know is that Walsh plans to propose to her tonight. Henry and I already figured it out when we learnt all about the romantic details.

"Yes, he is… Will Zach be coming over tonight?" She asks as she loops her arm with mine. We reach our apartment and she punches in the code for the gate.

"Yes, he will… And I promise we'll be on our best behaviours." I smile innocently when I notice she's opened her mouth to give me the usual speech about having a boy over.

"You better or I'll have to use my special set of skills to track him down…" Emma replies with an ominous grin.

I snort. "Who are you? Liam Neeson?"

"Yes, actually, I am!" Emma teases and we enter the apartment laughing. I see Henry on the couch playing one of his many video games. I skip over to the couch and plop down beside him, ruffling his hair with my hand that isn't holding my ice cream.

"Hey!" He complains but he doesn't dare take his hands off his controller or his eyes off the TV as he's obviously caught in the midst of an epic battle.

"If I leave you guys pizza money for dinner tonight promise me you won't let Zach eat it all?" Emma asks from the kitchen.

"The money?" I make a funny face and stick out my tongue.

"The _pizza_ , genius." Emma walks into the room and attempts to swat at the back of my head.

"I really can't make any promises about my dear boyfriend's control when it comes to pizza." I smirk as I think of my six-foot-tall boyfriend. He may be in school to study photography but he's built like a football player with a tall, bulky build and broad shoulders. Unfortunately for our fridge he also eats like a football player. To people who don't know him he can appear extremely intimidating. Luckily for me he is actually one big soft teddy bear and he's always treated me with the upmost respect.

"Ok… Maybe I'll leave you a little bit extra then." Emma laughs as she hands me the money.

"We have to make sure he doesn't order onions on his pizza again, though." Henry warns, his eyes still focused on the screen.

"Ugh, oh yea… We don't want another repeat of last time." I chuckle as I think of the horror show that ensued after we let Zach order onions on his last pizza. We learned quickly after that that onions do not agree with him.

"Ok, well I'm going to go get ready for my date." Emma says as she already starts to move towards her bedroom down the hall.

"Ok." I call after her as I finish off my ice cream. I turn to Henry. "Can I play?" His only response his to hand me the extra controller. I take the controller with a grin and join him in his fight against what appears to be ogres.

…..

Emma ended up leaving early claiming she had a "work thing" to do before her date. I warned her not to be late but I don't think she heard my warning. I could only imagine how awkward Walsh would feel if Emma didn't show up to the date he planned to propose on.

Shortly after Emma leaves Zach shows up. I open the door with a large grin and throw myself into his arms. He hugs me tightly and I'm overjoyed by the comfort he brings me. Zach started out as being my first good friend in New York and it took us a while for our relationship to shift into a romantic one, mostly because I was having trouble developing romantic feelings for him, but a few months ago I decided to give him a chance. I figured I'm young and there's always time for me to develop those feelings. Even though they haven't formed yet after three months of dating I'm sure they'll come eventually. Until then I'm happy with the way things are right now.

"Hey beautiful." Zach grins brightly and places a quick kiss on my cheek. "Hey Henry!" He calls over my shoulder but Henry barely waves, still wrapped up in his game.

I roll my eyes at my younger adoptive brother. "He's too obsessed with his new game to pay attention to humans." I say it loud enough for Henry to hear but he doesn't reply. "Emma left us money for pizza… Did you want to go pick some up?" I wave the money in front of his face.

"Oh, you know what I like." Zach teases and pulls me in for another hug and a kiss on the lips.

"Henry, we're going to go pick up the pizzas now… Did you want to come?" I know it's useless to offer but I figured I might as well try.

"No thanks… Just remember, no onions!"

"Awe, why not?" Zach pouts and I laugh.

"Because last time was awful. This is a small apartment, we don't need you filling it with your gas again." I shove his chest and he shrugs his shoulders.

"Ok, yea… I guess I understand that." He chuckles.

I slip my feet into my shoes and grab my purse, shoving the money Emma gave me in the front pocket. "We'll be back soon, Henry." I walk out of the apartment and Zach follows, shutting the door behind us.

"Henry really likes that game." Zach muses.

"Yea, he does. It was nice of you to give it to him." I smile up at him as he slips his hand into mine.

"It was no problem… Neither my brother or I were playing it so I figured he should have it." Zach shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly and my smile gets even bigger. It's his selfless and sweet nature that drew me to him in the first place. When my nightmares first started I needed anything to distract me from the horror I saw every night. Zach offered that distraction and he also made me laugh, which made him perfect.

As we walk to the small pizza shop down the road from my apartment I notice that it's already starting to get dark but that doesn't stop the constant bustle of people. In New York no street is ever really empty, especially the main streets. Our apartment is right in the centre of the hustle and bustle so it always has people around no matter the time.

Suddenly the wind starts to pick up, blowing my hair back and causing a chill to run down my spine. However, it doesn't stop there; it continues to pick up with more and more intensity until people are losing their belongings and signs are coming off their hinges.

"What the hell?" Zach asks as he tries to brace himself against the strong gusts of wind. I'm about to curl myself against his large frame when I notice a familiar face standing across the street, watching me.

It's the boy I've always been romantically involved with in my dreams.

I don't know his name. I never seem to say names in my dreams but I would recognize this boy anywhere. The chestnut brown hair, deep green eyes and lean build… He's watching me with such intensity I can't take my eyes off him. I try to take a step forward but when I'm pulled sharply backwards I remember I'm holding Zach's hand.

"Karina? Are you ok?" He asks, concern lacing his tone. I want to turn around and assure him that I'm fine but as the boy and I stare at one another I can't find my voice or even the ability to turn my head.

Then I hear it. " _Karina… Let's play…_ " It's the same taunting voice I've heard in my dreams time and time again. The same stupid phrase that has infuriated me but seemed to bring my dream self great pleasure.

"Karina?" Zach asks again and this time he shakes me. His actions break me out of my trance and I turn around to stare at Zach, my eyes wide. The wind has died down and everyone has continued around us like normal.

"Huh? What?" I feel like I was just pulled out of the water after nearly drowning. The world around me is spinning and I feel disoriented and uncomfortable.

"You were just staring across the road like a crazy person." Zach laughs awkwardly and I try to hide my wince. Zach has no idea about my therapy sessions, none of my friends do. The only people who know are a few carefully selected teachers at my school and of course, Emma and Henry. Because of this I try not to feel angry with Zach for his insensitive joke but I can't help but feel a little annoyed.

"Sorry… I just thought I saw someone I knew in the crowd. I was trying to pin their face." I offer him a small smile.

"Oh, well, don't worry about it. Let's go get pizza." He smiles and wraps his arm around my shoulder and leads me towards the pizza shop. Just as we're about to enter I can't help but cast one last look over my shoulder to see if that boy is still there. Of course, he isn't.

 _Maybe I really am crazy…_

…

By the time Emma gets home from her date the pizza was devoured, Zach had already gone home, Henry is still playing his game and I've practically fallen asleep on the couch next to him.

"Mrs. Q said you were quiet tonight." Emma says as throws her jacket over the back of a chair in the kitchen and walks over to us.

"Not quiet, concentrating. I finally reached level twenty-three." Henry grins. "And Karina… Well she's been sleeping almost the whole night."

"Hey, I object to that. I've never once fallen asleep. I'm like a cobra lying in wait for its prey… I'm like a deadly weapon." I point my finger at Henry and grin.

"Uh huh, sure." Both Emma and Henry say at the same time. I pick up a pillow and throw it at them. Emma catches it and tosses it back in my direction. I grab it and clutch it to my chest, aiming to find more comfort.

"Mind if a fifth level wizard joins you?" Emma asks as she kicks off her heels and collapses into the couch next to Henry.

"On level twenty-three?" Henry asks incredulously. "Good luck with that."

"Huh…" Emma muses as she joins the game.

Henry barely waits any time before he asks, "So what did you say?" When Emma only looks at him in confusion he elaborates. "To Walsh." Now that Henry is questioning Emma about her possible engagement I suddenly find myself more alert. I sit up and shoot Emma an expectant look.

"You knew? Both of you? How?" Emma asks as she tries to shift her attention back and forth between us and the game.

"C'mon mom." Henry snorts. "First date restaurant, special night out… Writing was on the wall."

"Technically the writing was in the dessert." Emma mutters.

"So, what did you say?" I ask, staring at her pointedly. When she doesn't say anything I snort and look at Henry, "Poor guy."

"I didn't say no." Emma replies defensively.

"Well, if you didn't say yes than I stand by my 'poor guy' assessment." I smirk and Henry nods his head and laughs.

"I just need some time to think about it! That's like a big step, you guys!" Emma exclaims. "We've got a good thing going here just the three of us."

"Yea, and we'd still have a good thing going for us with just the four of us." Henry replies.

"You think Walsh is worthy of joining our little family?"

"He's ok." Henry stuffs a handful of popcorn in his mouth and then pauses the game. He turns to his mother and I realize he's about to get serious. "Mom, not every guy is like my dad. Not every guy is going to leave you."

"He didn't just leave." Emma sighs. "He set me up to take the fall for his crime and left me in jail. He doesn't even know you exist… He doesn't deserve to."

"This guy's not that guy. He wants to be with you. Us! He wants us to be his home." Henry insists. "And anyways, I know you like him."

"How?"

"He's the first guy you've dated that I've ever met… Karina always gets to meet them but you've only ever introduced me to Walsh."

"Yea that's because I have this radar for mama boy's, murderers and complete losers. Without me Emma probably would've been in some pretty interesting dating situations!" I tap my temple and smirk when Emma starts to laugh.

"That is true. Karina has saved me from a few losers." Emma grins.

"And you are welcome for that, by the way." I smirk.

Henry turns back to his game. "When did you become so wise?" Emma asks her son as they start to play again.

"Sometime after level sixteen when I became a knight." Henry replies. The two start to discuss the game and I decide that it's time for me to go to bed.

I slowly shuffle down the hallway to my bedroom and climb into my bed, immediately curling into a ball. I close my eyes and pray that the nightmares will stay away at least for one night.

 **A/N:** So, what do you guys think of the first chapter? I wonder who that mysterious boy could've been, huh? Haha, I hope I made it fairly obvious. I couldn't keep him dead for long!

Please take a moment to review!


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Two ~**

I'm sitting in class when the panic attack hits. I've had them before. They've become a constant nuisance in my life throughout the past year. When they happen I'm usually filled with so much heart-stopping panic and grief that my best option to get through it is to curl into a ball and cry as I wait for it to pass. But when I'm sitting in class curling into a ball isn't an option.

As the panic mounts I grip the edge of my desk and try to take several deep breaths. Dr. Roberts has always told me that I can stop a panic attack simply by breathing and reminding myself that it will pass. So far, I have yet to have any success using his methods.

"Karina? Are you ok?" Mrs. Garry, my photography teacher, pauses her lecture to ask. Heads turn to stare at me and it's like I'm being boxed in. "Karina?"

I open my mouth to tell her that I have to go, but a tearless sob escapes instead of actual words. I gather up my things and rush from the room, leaving Mrs. Garry calling after me in concern and my classmates snickering.

I clutch my backpack to my chest and rush through the colourful hallways of the school. There are a few students lingering around, probably on a free period. I hear a few acquaintances who know me from class ask me if I'm ok but I ignore them as I hurry past them.

I make it to the back doors of the school, close to the gym. I push them open and run out into the large empty field. The fresh air only helps calm me down a little so I rush on; no idea where I'm going but knowing I have to get away.

Halfway through the field the panic attack becomes too much and I collapse to the ground, holding tightly onto my backpack. Tears stream down my cheeks and I cry so hard that I barely make any noise. I curl myself into a ball and wait for the pain to pass.

What feels like years but it's probably only a few minutes pass. The pain slowly starts to subside and I'm able to push myself up into a sitting position. I wipe at my cheeks with the palms of my hands and push my hair back away from my face. I grab my backpack and look through it, hoping to find my anxiety pills. I find it and shake two pills into my hand, tossing them into my mouth and swallowing them.

As I shove the bottle back into my bag I look up and see the same boy standing there, watching me. Suddenly feeling extremely courageous I jump to my feet and swing my bag over my shoulders, stomping towards him. I'm determined to ask him why he's been following me and if I can get an answer as to why he's in my dreams, that will be even better.

As I get closer I notice the boy has a twisted smirk contorting his beautiful features and that gives me pause. Slowly, I stop in my tracks and look towards the school as if I expect someone to be standing there as my backup. Of course, nobody is there and when I turn back to the boy he's gone again.

I look around wildly. _How could he just disappear? No one can move that fast._ I turn around in a full circle, desperate to find the boy but he's nowhere to be seen. I feel my anger start to grow and I throw my bag on the ground in my fit of rage.

I stand in the empty field for several minutes before finally I decide that I've had enough and I pick up my bag and stomp through the field towards the parking lot. I've decided that I'm not going to risk going back to class. I'm sure word has spread by now about my little show in Mrs. Garry's photography class. I think gossip spreads like wildfire in art schools specifically because art students have nothing better to do. I'm not exactly in the mood to be whispered about right now.

I send Emma a quick text that I'm going home and then catch the first bus I can back home.

….

I'm sleeping under the covers with plenty of pillows to comfort me when my phone starts singing AC/DC's _Back in Black,_ jarring me awake. "Hello?" I ask groggily as I try to find the opening to the blankets. I finally find it and stick my head out, my dark hair covering most of my vision.

"Where are you?" The sound of my best friend's voice greets me and she sounds perturbed.

"Home? In my bed?" I reply, though my words sound more like a question.

"Why?" She asks.

"Because I _was_ sleeping." I reply pointedly but she doesn't seem to get the hint.

"Well, what do you know. Here I am, outside of your apartment. Open the door." I can hear the mischievous grin in her voice and I sigh heavily, rolling out of my bed in my sweats and over-sized T-shirt.

I shuffle outside of my room and I'm surprised to see Emma already sitting at the kitchen table with some stranger wearing a weird black leather duster. "Sleeping beauty finally awakens." Emma says amusedly.

"What are you doing home?" I ask and squint at the clock, shocked to see it's already 8:00 PM.

"Yea, it's kind of late. What time did you go to sleep?" Emma wonders. My eyes shift from the clock to look back at her and I notice the stranger is staring at me with this weird shocked expression. Maybe I should've looked in the mirror before I left my room… I can only imagine what I look like.

"2? I think?" I shrug my shoulders.

"Nova's at the door." Emma mutters as she pours the stranger a glass of rum.

"How did you know?" I ask. "She didn't ring the doorbell…"

"She didn't have to." Emma snorts. "I could hear her all the way down the hall."

"Ah, I suppose that would do it." I continue to the door.

As I open the door I'm not surprised to see my best friend standing there wearing a black tutu, a black corset top, black fishnet stockings and black biker boots. Her red hair is wild and her dark gray eyes are alight with excitement. The freckles that usually dust her face are practically invisible underneath her makeup, which she styled to make her look even more like some dark princess.

"Hey there!" She smiles, flashing her pearly white teeth at me and skipping into the apartment. Nova dresses strictly for the shock factor. Her mom died shortly after she was born and her dad is some big wig lawyer who could care less what she does. He throws his money at his daughter and has hired several staff members to look after his daughter, like a chef, a maid, and a gardener. Those workers have practically become her family because they've looked after her like her father never did but that doesn't stop her from trying to catch her father's attention in the most outlandish ways.

"Hi Nova." I reply and shut the door behind her. She moves into the kitchen, feeling totally comfortable to go into our kitchen and search our fridge without any invitation. "We got chocolate milk." I tell her as I follow her into the kitchen.

Immediately she reaches into the fridge, looking for the drink I mentioned. She finds it quickly and when she turns around she gasps and plasters herself against the fridge, splaying her hand across her chest. " _Who_ are _you_?" She asks the stranger sitting at the table.

I try to hide my laugh with a cough. It would figure that Nova would find this guy attractive. He's decked out in black leather and wearing black eyeliner. He's the perfect match for her entire goth princess look.

"Uh…" The man mutters, clearly unsure as he casts Emma a nervous look. Emma looks like she's trying hard not to laugh at Nova's outlandish behaviour and this man's reaction to it.

"Karina, Nova… This is my friend… Killian." Emma gestures between the three of us, just now starting to look uncomfortable. I can't help but wonder why she would be so uncomfortable introducing us to her friend. Her eyes settle on me and she gives me such an intense look it becomes my turn to be uncomfortable.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Killian." Nova replies and stretches out her hand, batting her long lashes at the man.

"Oh my gosh, Nova…" I whisper, covering my face with my hand as I try not to cringe at her grand attempt at flirting.

"It's nice to meet you…" Like a switch was flipped Killian shoots Nova a charming smile that leaves her fanning herself and leaves Emma rolling her eyes. Then, as if someone flipped the switch back, Killian becomes serious again as he turns towards me. "Karina…" He whispers and reaches out his hand.

I look up at Emma and notice she seems to be holding her breath. I shoot her a weird look and then reach out and grab Killian's hand. "Nice to meet you." I smile cordially and try to pull my hand back but his grip tightens. My smile falls and with a sharp tug I manage to pull my hand free. "Let's go." I say to Nova who is now giving me a quizzical look.

"Bye Killian." Nova smiles flirtatiously as I grab her arm and lead her to my room. Once we are shut inside Nova bursts into fits of giggles and jumps onto my bed. "He was so HOT!"

"Uh huh." I mutter placidly as I walk over to my bed and sit down next to her.

"Do you think he and Emma are doing it? Or would I have a chance?" Nova asks with wide, excited eyes.

"She's almost engaged to Walsh!" I exclaim, shaking my head.

"WHAT? You didn't tell me that!" Nova screams and smacks me over the head.

"Ow!" I shriek and hit her back.

Nova was the second friend I made upon my arrival in New York. Zach, of course, was the first person and he became a good friend and eventually my boyfriend. Then he introduced me to Nova and we became best friends almost instantly. There's something about Nova that is so refreshing and open that drew me to her the moment I met her. She told me about a month into our friendship that it looked like I had just been through a war and that I had the saddest eyes of anyone she had ever met. She said that she swore she would do whatever it took to get rid of that sadness in my eyes.

I may have plenty of other friends at school but Nova and Zach are my two closest friends who I care the most about. It bothers me that I lie to them about my therapy sessions and about the fact that I seem to be slowly losing my memories. But whenever I come close to telling them a little voice at the back of my mind warns me against it.

"What do you mean they're 'almost engaged'? Didn't Walsh ask the question?" Nova starts to bounce up and down on my bed, grinning excitedly.

"Well he asked and Emma…" I release a heavy sigh. "Didn't say yes, didn't say no."

"Poor guy…" Nova responds, her face contorting into a pained expression. I shoot her an amused grin as she shakes her head in pity for Walsh.

"Henry and I invited Walsh over so he and Emma can talk things over… Which means we can't be here much longer." I finish with wide eyes as I realize how late it already is. "Oh man!" I shout and rush to my closet.

"Well I don't think Emma and Walsh will be doing a lot of talking as long as that Killian guy is still here." Nova mutters as I quickly get dressed.

"Emma will probably get him to leave when Walsh gets here." I offer. I step out of my closet as I zip myself into a black leather jacket. "I think that's the quickest I've ever gotten dressed." I huff as I push my hair up into a ponytail.

"Thank God for that." Nova replies sarcastically as she rolls her eyes.

I shoot her a dry look. "You're one to talk… Last I checked you still take two hours to get ready.

"It's a process!" Nova shrieks but I can see the hint of a smile despite her desperate attempt to appear indignant.

"Ok, let's go." I say to her as I grab my keys and we hurry into the kitchen only to find Emma and Killian still sitting there drinking rum. "What are you doing?" I ask and throw my arms up in the air.

"W-What?" Emma asks, looking confused.

"Walsh is coming over, remember? And you're just sitting here drinking rum? No!" I shake my head but when Emma only looks at me I turn to Nova for back-up.

"You really should get changed into a dress or something." Nova adds helpfully.

Emma gives an uncomfortable laugh, "Listen, girls…

"No, no! No 'listen'. Nova and I are leaving and you are going to go get ready, ok?" I turn to Killian and narrow my eyes. "And you… You better be gone before Walsh gets here, because if you aren't…" I raise my hand. "I'll smack you! Understand me?"

"Karina!" Emma shouts and covers her face with her hand.

Killian clears his throat and looks like he's trying hard not to smile, "I understand you perfectly, Captain." He raises his hand and salutes me.

I narrow my eyes and stare at him for a moment and then I turn and lead Nova from the apartment. Nova has a stupid grin on her face and the moment the door is shut firmly behind us she says, "I think he likes you."

"What? Ew. No. Nova, don't be disgusting. He's probably, like, 30 or something." I make a face and pull my phone from my pocket, already dialing Zach's number.

"Older guys are hot." Nova giggles and loops her arm through mine.

"Yea, maybe to you." I laugh.

…

By the time I got a hold of Zach he was already at a house party some other student in our class was throwing. Nova and I decide to head over there because Nova is eager to tell the other girls all about Killian. I'm sure she plans to tell some outlandish story as well about how Killian flirted with her nonstop.

As we walk into the house the music reverberates around me and rocks through me. Immediately I recognize the song and start singing along to it quietly under my breath. I spot Zach almost instantly because of his height and I beeline towards him. I already lost Nova but that isn't surprising in a party like this. I know she'll mingle with other people for a while and then find me later.

"Hey beautiful!" Zach shouts over the music and presses a sloppy kiss against my forehead. I can smell the booze and I know he's already drunk. I don't know how long he's been at the party but it must have been enough time for him to drink enough to get drunk. As Zach wraps his arm over my shoulder and pulls me closer I grimace and try to shrug his arm off.

"How much have you had to drink?" I ask him seriously. I've never been a person who likes to ruin others good time but Zach has never been a good drunk. He can get very loud and arrogant, which usually leads to fighting. Him fighting wouldn't bother me either (I'm hardly one to talk anyways), except he is a terrible fighter and he's even worse when he's drunk. Usually when he gets drunk I'm the one who has to bail him out of the fight and I promised Emma I would do my very best not to fight anymore.

"One drink." He replies and puts his finger to his lips. "Ok… Maybe two… Three… Five? But don't tell Karina!"

"Oh great, so not only is my boyfriend drunk but he's apparently a lightweight." I grumble as I pat his arm. I'm about to turn away and go find Nova when I feel two hands grab me and I'm pulled up against Zach's large body as he crashes his lips down on mine. It's sloppy and I feel like I'm drowning in his saliva. I try to gently push him away but when he refuses to let go I eventually resort to punching him in the chest.

"Ow." He grumbles as he rubs his chest. Other than rubbing his chest he looks unfazed and simply turns back to his friends like I'm no longer standing there.

I throw my arms out and walk away, feeling annoyed. I'm determined to find Nova so I can try and salvage part of the night. Although Zach may be a huge sweetheart 99% of the time there is still that 1% of the time when he gets drunk and he gets on my nerves.

I become more and more frustrated as I continue to look for Nova but can't find her anywhere. Then, I see that boy from my nightmares again standing by the door. I stop walking and stand rooted in place. He flashes me a teasing grin, cocks his head to the door and then turns and leaves the house.

I quickly scurry after him and by the time I get out on the front porch he's already halfway across the lawn. "Hey!" I shout. "Hey! Come back. I think you owe me some answers, buddy!" The boy never turns around. He continues walking like I never said anything. My temper flaring I jump off the porch and run after him. I reach out to grab his hand when a voice calling my name catches my attention.

I turn to see Nova and Zach along with a few other classmates standing on the front porch. Nova and Zach look concerned while the others look like they're trying not to laugh. "Sweetie, who are you talking to?"

"The boy!" I exclaim and point over my shoulder.

"Karina… There's no boy. You were out here alone." Nova replies gently.

I feel my blood run cold and I spin around, searching desperately for the boy. Of course, he's nowhere to be seen and as laughter erupts behind me I have to fight to keep tears from falling down my cheeks. _I really am going crazy… I'm losing my memories, I'm having nightmares and hallucinations… Who am I becoming? I can't lose my mind. I can't!_

Slowly I turn back to face the others and when I see my boyfriend is laughing with them my heart sinks. "Guys, shut up!" Nova shouts and hits Zach's arm. "Karina…" She takes a few steps towards me, her eyes sad and worried.

"Don't." I put my hand up and try to smile but it feels strained. Without another word I turn and run down the street back to the apartment. I ignore Nova yelling after me and the others laughter. Tears stream down my cheeks as I realize I have finally lost my mind.

….

I make it back to the apartment fairly quickly but by the time I get into the building my thoughts are a mess as they race back and forth. I know I have to convince Emma to let me change schools. I can't go back to that school after what just happened. I won't. Then I'm going to march back into Dr. Roberts office and force him to diagnose me with something. If I know what I have I can learn everything about it, including how to stop it from happening to me.

I storm into the apartment to see Emma is still sitting at the kitchen table with Killian, only now she seems shaken. "Hey… Are you ok?" Emma asks, looking concerned and I hope she can't tell that I've been crying.

"Wasn't Walsh supposed to be coming over?" I ask and turn to glare pointedly at Killian. I cross my arms over my chest and wait for their excuse.

"Actually, there's something I need to tell you…" Emma slowly gets up from her chair and walks towards me. She takes my hands in hers and I know something's really wrong. "Killian is actually a partner asking for help with a case. It's in Maine… And I plan to go help him with it."

"Um, ok." I shoot her a strange look. I don't know why she's acting so nervous. She's gone away for weekends before to work on a case. Henry and I always stayed here with strict orders from Emma not to throw a party (though I think that order was always meant more for me and not Henry).

Emma turns to Killian for a brief moment and his only answer is to shrug his shoulders. She turns back to me, "Karina… You and Henry will be coming with me."

"For a weekend? That's cool." I try to go to my room but she stops me.

"Actually, I don't know how long we'll be there… It's probably going to be quite some time." Emma chews her bottom lip nervously as she tries to gauge my reaction.

 _As if this already terrible day couldn't get any worse…_ "So, what? We're moving again?" I'm trying desperately to get my anger under control but the way both adults are looking at me right now isn't helping.

"No! We're not moving… But I will be pulling you guys out of school and we'll be staying there for a while…"

"Are you kidding me right now?!" I shout and throw my hands in the air. I know I was planning on asking Emma to let me switch schools, but I wasn't expecting us to be moving any time soon. We've only been in New York for a year!

"Karina." Killian says in a stern voice and I turn my furious gaze on him.

"Killian, I got this… I told you about her issues. Just let me deal with this." Emma replies and then freezes once she realizes what she said.

"YOU TOLD HIM ABOUT ME?!" I scream, feeling angry and betrayed.

"Karina, I barely told him anything!" Emma insists but I can tell she's lying. "Remember what Dr. Roberts said about controlling your anger."

I try to count again in an effort to control my temper but it seems to do no good whatsoever. "I can't believe you! I trusted you!" I seethe. "You had no right to tell this…" I wave my hand at him. "This guy-liner wearing freak!"

"Hey!" Killian exclaims but when I turn my attention to him he immediately shrinks back into his seat, all past objections forgotten.

"Karina, you need to calm down." Emma puts her hands up in surrender as she speaks as calmly as she can muster.

With my heart pounding, my blood roaring in my ears and my vision turning red I have lost all control. My anger is so potent I barely think straight as I lunge straight at Emma.

 **A/N:** I apologize for this chapter being all over the place. I don't want to waste too much time in New York but I also wanted to show as much of Karina's new life as I could before I sent her back to Storybrooke.

Please take a moment to review!


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Three ~**

"Karina, you need to calm down." Emma puts her hands up in surrender as she speaks as calmly as she can muster.

With my heart pounding, my blood roaring in my ears and my vision turning red I have lost all control. My anger is so potent I barely think straight as I lunge straight at Emma.

I grab one of the hands she's holding up in surrender and push it back and then I curl my other hand into a fist, swinging and hitting her hard in the nose. She cries out as blood starts to gush and drip down her face.

Just like that, seeing her blood, my anger drains from my body and horror sets in as I realize that once again I lost control. Only this time I hurt one of the few people who actually mean something to me. I place my hands over my mouth and I rush towards Emma to help, but instead my quick movement freaks her out and she jumps back. "Oh God, Emma… I-I'm _so_ sorry." Before I can help myself tears come to my eyes. "I never wanted to hurt you… I just get _so angry_ and I can't control myself. I'm sorry!"

"It's fine, Karina." Emma replies but I can hear the anger in her voice and I don't blame her. Killian hands her a towel and then hurries to get her some water. I watch him scramble around the kitchen as Emma stumbles to place herself in a chair, still holding the now bloody towel to her face.

Slowly, I back towards the door. "I'm sorry, Emma." I whisper and then rush down the hallway and out the building, back out into the cool night air. I walk aimlessly until I come across a park. It's not as busy as it would be in the middle of the afternoon, but there are still a few late night joggers and people walking their dogs. I find a bench in front of a small pond and slowly lower myself into it, shoving my hands in my pockets.

I'm not sitting there long when I see a figure appear out of the corner of my eyes. I don't bother turning my head to acknowledge him. I'm sure he'll disappear soon enough and I don't need the joggers and dog walkers thinking I'm crazy for talking to myself.

"What? No hello?" The boy next to me asks arrogantly. I freeze and my jaw slowly drops in surprise. It's the first words I've heard this boy say and if I'm honest, his voice sounds exactly how I imagined it. Husky and proud. And somehow I knew I would love the sound of it and I was right.

Slowly, I turn to face him, my eyes wide and my jaw still dropped. His dark chestnut coloured hair is messy and swoops down over his forehead, slightly covering his eyes. However, his hair doesn't obstruct my view of his perfectly emerald green eyes that seem to glow with mischievousness. His long, lean body, almost reminding me of a cat, is stretched out beside me, offering me a perfect view of his physique. His weird looking clothes are the only thing about him that I find odd, and yet I can't bring myself to question it.

The boy leans forward until our faces are inches apart. "Cat got your tongue?" He whispers. His breath fans across my face and I shamefully breathe it in and notice it smells like mint. My attraction to this boy is unlike anything I've ever felt in my life. It's like every nerve in my body is frayed, waiting for his touch so they can come alive again. My heart races and I feel heat in the pit of my stomach.

Realizing I must be making a fool of myself I quickly shake off my reaction and cast a look around at the others in the park. "I'm not the only one who can see you, right?"

"Why? Afraid you're losing your mind?" The boy grins knowingly.

"Of course not!" I scoff and try to laugh it off, but my laugh sounds nervous and unhinged, even to my own ears. The boy's grin gets impossibly larger, letting me know he heard the unsteadiness of my laugh.

"Yes, other people can see me." The boy replies. "I can choose when I want people to see me and who gets to see me. It's actually pretty fun."

"Oh yes, I can see the appeal of making me look insane to all my friends!" I snap, glaring furiously at him. "What was up with all the disappearing acts?"

"It was the game!" The boy exclaims excitedly. His words sound so familiar as if I heard him say it before, or at least someone who sounds very much like him. The more I think about it the more the thought slips away until it completely disappears.

"What do you want with me?" I ask angrily as I cross my arms over my chest. "I've been seeing you everywhere, even in my dreams! That can't be a coincidence."

"You've been having dreams?" The boy's eyebrows scrunch together as he looks at me questioningly. "Of me? What else have you been dreaming of?"

"I-I don't want to talk about it." I reply quickly. The last thing I want is to tell this stranger about my nightmares where I kill people and enjoy it. Or that in my dreams he and I are doing some very hot and heavy things.

"Well if you don't tell me what you're dreaming of, how can I help you deal with them?"

"How would you be able to help me? For all I know, you could be a figment of my imagination and I really am crazy. My mind could've created you to help me cope with the stress in my life." Although I meant it as a way to argue with the boy, horror sets in as I realize this boy could in fact be a trick created by my own mind.

"Maybe I am… But that doesn't change the fact that I can help you." The boy replies as he studies my face carefully.

"Help me?" I laugh bitterly. "You're a boy. I'm getting the help I need." I start to get up from the bench when he reaches out as fast as a striking cobra and grabs my wrist. His hand feels ice cold but his touch sears through my skin, jolting me.

"Dr. Roberts can't help you like I can, Karina." The boy looks deep into my eyes as he speaks seriously.

His obvious knowledge of intimate details in my life shocks me. Fear courses through me as I stare back at the boy with wide eyes. I don't know how long I stand there staring at him before my senses come back to me and I jerk my wrist out of his grip.

I curl my lip as I snarl, "Stay the hell away from me!" Then I turn and race away from him. Once I'm halfway through the park and protected by the cover of the trees I turn back to the bench to see the boy is gone. A shiver runs down my spine and I wrap my arms around myself as I continue on my way.

…..

Hours later I walk back to the apartment. I quietly sneak into the building, waving at the doorman when he shoots me a weird look. No doubt he's wondering what I'm doing out at 3:30 AM but he doesn't ask any questions.

I hurry up to our apartment and I'm not surprised when the entire space is dark. Quietly I tiptoe to my room, kicking off my shoes next to the hall closet doors. I'm halfway through the kitchen when I hear a rustling on the couch and the lamp turns on. I look over and Emma's sitting up, rubbing her eyes.

I silently curse and then stop, turning to face her. I notice that she doesn't seem to have any permanent damage to her face, except her nose looks pretty red. Guilt slams into me like a wave and I rush towards her, "Emma, I'm so sorry!" I gasp, holding my hands to my chest.

"Karina, it's fine." Emma replies, her voice sounding tired. "I was waiting up for you because I wanted to talk to you."

I gulp and nod my head, silently gesturing for her to continue. I brace myself for whatever punishment she's getting ready to give me.

"I'm not mad at you. I just want you to know that you and Henry will be coming with me. I know it's not ideal for you, with your boyfriend and especially with Nova… And there's your therapy sessions with Dr. Roberts. But I need you guys to come with me. I don't know how long I'll be there… It could be a while." Emma explains slowly, studying my reaction closely.

I'm about to object but then I think back to that boy in the park who seems to know a lot of things about me. He knew about my sessions with Dr. Roberts. My therapy sessions are my most guarded secret, the fact that he not only knows I'm in therapy, but also knows the name of my therapist scares me. I never thought I could attract a stalker, after all they only go after extremely gorgeous and interesting people, but perhaps that's exactly what I've done.

"Ok." I reply simply and Emma looks shocked I agreed so easily this time around. I'm sure she expected me to get angry like last time, but I'm taking extra care not to hurt her or Henry now.

"Ok… Great… We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning. So you might want to make sure you pack a bag tonight. I haven't told Henry yet, so make sure you don't say anything to him." Emma says and I nod my head.

I'm about to walk to my room when I stop. "You didn't tell Henry about…" I trail off and bite my lip. I know I don't have to clarify because in seconds understanding dawns on her face.

"No, I didn't. And I won't. It'll be our secret… I know you didn't mean it and I can tell just by looking at you now that you feel awful about it." Emma smiles slightly and I smile back timidly. I turn back to my room when she stops me. "Oh, and Karina… Can I just say I'm proud of how well you can throw a punch? I won't ever have to worry about a guy taking advantage of you with that kind of right hook."

I laugh, glad that we're getting back to normal. "Thanks. Maybe someday I'll teach you my ways." I wink. "Good night."

"Night."

I walk into my room and instantly head to my closet to grab my bag. I start shoving my favourite clothes in my bag, as well as my favourite book and my headphones. I grab my top three favourite pairs of shoes and shove them in the bag as well. Then I head to the bathroom to grab my toiletries and makeup. Once those are packed I decide I'm done packing for the night.

I change into my pajamas and collapse on the bed, checking my phone for the first time since I left the party. I have over 50 text messages, most of them from Nova, but a few from Zach, and 30 missed calls, all but one from Nova and the last one from Emma. I scroll through them as I wait for sleep to come to me. Most of them are Nova begging me to call her, the ones from Zach asking the same thing. Then the message from Emma is asking me to come home so we can talk. I delete the messages and decide I'll reply to Nova in the morning, but Zach can wait until I'm on the road. I don't want to see him, not after he laughed at me. He may have been drunk, but it still hurt.

I set my phone down and turn off the light as I pull the blankets up to my chin. When sleep finally takes me I'm not surprised to find myself being whisked off into a nightmare.

…

 _I walk into a dimly lit tavern that is packed with men of all sizes and very few women except for the ones who are dressed in the skimpy dresses, their breasts practically spilling out overtop their corsets. Some of the women serve beer in heavy metal drinking steins while the others sit on the laps of eager looking men._

 _My crew crowds in behind me, their eyes going bright as they look at the beer and women. After being on the seas for so long they have missed the company of women and the taste of beer. We only have rum on the ship since I hate beer and since it's my ship I can choose what we carry._

" _Well boys, enjoy yourselves." I reply, my tone quiet and sultry. I smirk as they holler excitedly and rush deeper into the room. The only one who doesn't leave my side is my lieutenant, Drake. He watches the others rush away like excited boys with a nasty curl to his lip. "You can enjoy yourself too, Drake."_

" _And leave your side when you're about to meet a very nasty adversary?" He snorts. "Hardly."_

 _Instead of speaking I throw my head back and laugh, my dark hair falling back, catching the rays of the few lights. I notice I catch the attention of several men around me. Why wouldn't I? I know I look good. I'm wearing black leather pants, a white top that hangs off my shoulder and a thick black belt that goes up to the bottom of my breasts. Jewelry hangs around my neck and sits on my fingers but my daggers sticking out of my knee-high boots warns anyone from trying to take them._

 _I flash the men my best 'come hither' smirk but continue on my way through the tavern, ignoring some of the men as they make cat calls. I see the person I'm meeting sitting at a table in the very back corner of the room._

 _They have a cloak pulled up over their head, shielding their face as they slump against the wall, their fingers tracing the stein sitting on the table before them. I take the only seat across from them and Drake stands behind me, right at my shoulder, his hand on the hilt of his sword._

" _Hello Karina." The voice cuts through the noise of the tavern like glass._

 _I smirk, not in the least bit intimidated. "Hello Circe."_

 _The witch throws back her hood and smirks, her mismatched blue and green eyes seem to glow in the flicker of the candlelight. "Glad to be back on land?" She asks innocently._

" _Cut the crap. You know why I'm here… Do you have it?" I raise an eyebrow as I drop my hands in my lap._

" _Of course, I have it. What do you take me for? An amateur?" Her eyes hold amusement, but her tone suggests she's truly annoyed by the possibility of me considering her an amateur._

" _I'll make that decision once I've seen whether or not you've disappointed me." I smile nastily and she throws a small black pouch on the table in front of me. I grab the bag and open it, peering inside to see the herbs I need to cast the finders spell._

 _I smirk and hand it over my shoulder to Drake so he can double check Circe's work. She watches the motions and narrows her eyes, turning back to me. "You don't trust me?"_

" _Of course not." I scoff. "You're a witch. I would be a fool to trust you. My lieutenant knows a little bit about magic, he can double check your work to make sure it's correct."_

" _It is." Circe seethes, her eyes now narrowed into slits._

 _My grin turns wild as I realize I'm pushing her buttons. Circe is known to be one of the most powerful witches, you don't anger her unless you're willing to gain a very powerful enemy. I sent her a message when we were still on the water, asking her to prep this spell for me and meet me at this tavern._

" _It's good." Drake rumbles behind me as he drops the pouch into my hand._

" _Of course it's good." Circe growls. "Don't insult my work!"_

" _And this spell will work if I cast it? Even if I don't have any magical abilities?" I clarify. Magic usually has to be cast by someone with the abilities to use it, but powerful enough witches like Circe can form spells that are ready to be cast by people like me with no magical abilities whatsoever._

 _Circe rolls her eyes. "Yes. Like I said before, you'll need a personal item of the person you wish to find, but it will work. Simply place that item in the pouch with the herbs and light it on fire. The pouch and the herbs will burn away, but the item you use will remain and will become a talisman that will burn hot the closer you get to that person you are seeking."_

" _Wonderful." I get up and turn to walk away._

" _My payment?" Circe demands, placing her hand palm up on the table._

" _Oh yea…" I share a mischievous look with Drake and then in one swift move I grab the dagger from my boot and slice her fingers clean off her hand._

 _Circe starts to scream as other guests in the tavern start to shout nervously. The men who were cat calling me earlier look especially nervous. "You will regret this." Circe seethes._

" _Will I?" I reply, batting my eyelashes innocently. My innocent look dissolves into one of wickedness as I flick my wrist and my dagger runs across her throat, slashing it. Blood spurts from the wound and she starts to cough, clutching at her neck as she falls to the ground. "Never trust a pirate, my dear Circe." I brush her hair out of her face as her last moments are filled with glaring hatefully at me. Once I'm sure she's dead I turn back to find my crew watching me excitedly, clearly awaiting my word. "Take everything, leave no prisoners."_

….

I wake up screaming, my body is covered in sweat and my heart pounds painfully against my chest. The sunlight streaming in past my curtains does little to comfort me and even when Emma runs in, her expression alarmed I continue to scream.

"Karina! It's ok! It was just a dream." She wraps her arms around me and rubs my back soothingly. My screams turn into loud, gasping sobs as I wrap my arms around Emma and hug her as tightly as I dare.

"It felt real…" I whisper, my entire body trembling as over and over again I picture slashing that woman's throat.

"I know, but it wasn't." Emma pulls back and rubs my arms. For the first time I notice they're covered in goosebumps. "C'mon, let's go get some breakfast." She takes me hand and leads me out into the kitchen where I can smell bacon and eggs cooking.

Seconds after I've sat down Henry comes walking in, fully dressed but still rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Another nightmare?" He asks me as he sits next to me.

"Yea, sorry for waking you up kid." I mumble, as I wrap my arm around his shoulder.

"It's cool… You kind of acted as my alarm this morning. Mom forgot to wake me up this morning I guess." Henry shrugs his shoulders.

I look up at Emma to see she seems lost in her own little world as she beats the eggs ruthlessly. "Uh… Emma, I think you've beaten those eggs enough…"

"Huh?" She shakes herself out of whatever thoughts she was having and then looks down at the bowl in her hands. "Oh, right… Can I ask you guys something?"

"Of course." Henry replies.

"Do you guys believe in magic?"

I snort as Henry quickly says, "Of course!" Emma shoots him a surprised look when he continues, "And the tooth fairy, and Santa Clause and the Easter bunny… If it gets me a present, I believe in it… You're not sure you made the right decision, are you?"

"I just didn't feel like pancakes." Emma replies as she pours the eggs into the frying pan.

"About Walsh." Henry clarifies and I realize that I had no idea that Emma said no, but I suppose if she had said yes she wouldn't have been home with Killian last night.

"Oh," Emma laughs, but it seems kind of awkward. "I made the right decision… It's just going to be the three of us for a little while." She places the plates of food in front of us.

"As long as you're happy." Henry smiles and then glances up at the clock. "Tasty, but I gotta run. I'm going to be late for school; you kind of overslept."

"No, no school today. How about we go on a trip?"

"Like a vacation?" Henry asks, slowly coming to sit down next to me again.

"Like... I have a case and it's in Maine and it might take me a while and I think we should go. It would be an adventure." Emma looks at me and I immediately look down at my plate, feeling embarrassed after the way I acted.

"No school? A trip with you? Sold." Henry grins at his mother and she smiles back.

"Good, 'cause I already packed."

"When do we leave?"

"Now." Emma replies just as there is a heavy knock at the door. Emma goes to answer the door and I can hear Killian's voice in the hall before I see him. He turns the corner and Emma rushes after him. "Henry, this is Killian, he's, um… I'm, um… Helping him with his case." I raise an eyebrow because last night Emma introduced him as a friend. It's very possible that they are friends, but her awkwardness when introducing him is a little suspicious.

"Did you skip bail?" Henry asks, looking confused.

"Ah, he's still a little spitfire." Killian smirks and his words catch both mine and Henry's attention.

"Still…?" Henry wonders, looking even more confused.

"He's not a perp… He's a client." Emma explains quickly.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Henry asks Killian.

"Why are you dressed like that?" Killian asks angrily and I start to giggle when I notice he actually looks extremely offended that a boy questioned his appearance.

"Alright, alright. Make yourself useful Killian and get our bags. Henry, help him. Karina, go get ready." I salute her and then jump off the stool and rush to the bathroom so I can have a quick shower.

…...

By the time Emma managed to drag me out of the apartment and I managed to get off the phone with a very peeved best friend of mine, it was almost the afternoon when we set out for Maine. The car ride was long and mostly boring, except Henry and I kept playing I Spy and Killian tried to play along but he really didn't get the game, which Henry and I found hilarious.

Finally, close to midnight we arrive at the border of a little town called Storybrooke. I inspect the sign, my face scrunching up as I rack my brain for any mention of a town called Storybrooke in any of my geography classes.

"Since when was Storybrooke a town?" I ask quietly. I don't want to speak too loud since Henry had fallen asleep and he's now resting his head on my shoulder.

"Since they built a town here a bunch of years ago…" Emma explains quickly and then shoots Killian a dark look as if she dares him to object. I raise an eyebrow as I inspect the two of them. They've obviously known each other for a while and if I had to guess, there are definitely some feelings there on both sides. I'm not surprised Emma said no to Walsh if she has feelings for this guy. Though, I'm surprised she likes Killian since his appearance isn't exactly normal…

Emma pulls her little yellow car up to a curb and she stops the car. With a quick order telling me to stay in the car, Emma and Killian get out as Emma seems to look around the dark town, looking surprised.

I look down at my phone for a second and when I look up Killian is placing a hook where his hand used to be. My jaw drops and when Emma peers into the car and notices my reaction she slaps Killian. Then Killian looks in and when he sees me staring at him he simply smiles and waves his hook in the air like this is a normal thing. His reaction prompts Emma to smack him again.

Emma starts to walk away and I quickly scramble out of the car, being careful not to wake Henry. "Um, where is she going? Why do you have a hook for a hand? You're not going to murder us all _I Know What You Did Last Summer_ are you?"

Killian looks lost over the last question so he promptly decides to answer the others. "Emma went to talk to some friends of hers… And I have a hook for a hand because… Well, because it's much cooler than having no hand." He grins, clearly proud of himself for his answer.

"Right…" I nod my head slowly and then quickly jump back into the car, locking the doors. "Psychopath…"

 **A/N:** Haha, Karina interacting with Hook when she has no memory is actually kind of funny!

Please take a moment to review!


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Four ~**

Thankfully, Emma returned quickly and saved Henry and I from her weird friend. She took us to what is apparently the only inn throughout the entire town, which was operated by a very strange old lady. She kept staring at us like we were the most fascinating thing she'd seen all year. Maybe in a small town like this, that's not too far fetched of an idea.

Once we get to our room Henry goes straight back to sleep without much of a word to anyone. Meanwhile I start to get ready for bed when I notice Emma is preparing to leave again.

"Going somewhere?" I ask with a raised brow.

She freezes, looking very much like a deer caught in the headlights of a car and then scratches her head as she looks at the door. "Um, yea… I have something I need to do."

"In the middle of the night? In a small town like this? Won't everything be closed?" I reply skeptically.

"I have to meet some people. I did come here to work a job." Emma replies. "Just look after Henry, I'll be back soon." Her tone implies that I better not argue. I suppose since the last time we got into an argument ended in me hitting her it might be best if I back off.

"Alright…" I mutter and then head back into the bathroom. Once I hear the door shut I quickly rush back into the living room and grab my jacket, shoving my feet in my shoes. Something about this town and about Emma in this town is off. I intend to figure out whatever it is that's causing her to act so weird and hang out with hook man.

I quietly tip toe down the hallway and out of the inn, following Emma as she leaves on foot. Not long after she's joined by Killian who flashes her a flirtatious grin. I roll my eyes but remind myself to stick to the shadows as I creep behind them. I make sure to stay far enough back that they can't hear me but as they talk animatedly to one another I can't help but wish I knew what they were saying.

Emma and Killian arrive at a large white home. The lights are on in almost every room but the curtains are drawn to cover any faces that might be seen from the outside. Silently I curse my misfortune and I'm ready to turn around and head back to the inn when I hear someone behind me.

"Spying, Karina?" An arrogant voice asks. I know who it is before I even turn around.

Dread fills me as I see the same boy who was stalking me in New York. I thought coming to this hole in the wall town would get me away from him. The fact that he's here and approaching me is terrifying. "W-What are you doing here?" I ask and curse the stutter.

The boy throws out his arms and looks around with a boyish grin. "I could ask you the same thing."

"How did you find me?" I demand. I look up at the building behind me and wonder if I scream loud enough Emma will hear and come running. I can always explain why I was following her after she saves me from this freak.

The boy steps forward and leans in dramatically as if he plans to tell me a secret. "I live here." He whispers.

"No way. There's no way you just _happen_ to live here when I just saw you in New York." I shake my head vehemently as the boy's grin gets impossibly larger. It's like he enjoys watching me slowly lose my mind. I called Killian a psychopath earlier but now I'm wondering if he's sane compared to this boy. When the boy says nothing I continue, "I thought I told you to stay away from me?"

"Now why would I do that when you're the reason I'm in this awful town?" He starts to slowly circle me and I watch his every move, terrified that he's going to lash out and attack me.

" _Right,_ so you can _help me_." I reply sarcastically.

The boy stops pacing and gives me a dry stare. "I can help you better than any shrink Emma will shove at you can. They can't understand what's afflicting you."

"Afflicting me?" I ask angrily. "You may know my name, but you don't know anything about me."

"I know that you're having awful nightmares." The boy replies and I open my mouth to remind him that I already told him of my dreams when he holds up his hand and continues. "I also know you wake up screaming every night because of these nightmares. I know you're afraid that you're losing your mind because you can't remember important things that should be remembered… And I know that in your nightmares you see yourself doing things you never imagined you would do. I also know that those dreams, as much as they horrify you… They also fascinate you…" Slowly he reaches out and brushes back a few strands of my dark hair behind my ear. His fingers brush my cheek and I jump from the contact, that warm feeling in my gut coming back.

I stare at him for a long, hard moment and then I jump back. I swallow thickly as I try to remind myself that this boy is not sane and I shouldn't trust anything he says or does. "I-I don't even know your name." I reply weakly.

"Peter… My name is Peter."

"Well, Peter, if I haven't said it before, I'm saying it now: you don't know shit about me. Now stay away from me or I'll have your ass thrown in jail." As I turn and storm away I desperately hope that he doesn't see my trembling. The way he looked at me and listed everything I've been feeling… Especially the part about my nightmares holding an odd fascination… I never wanted to admit it, even to myself, but hearing someone else say it out loud reminds me of the truth.

I hurry back to the inn, hoping to sneak back in without waking Henry and go to bed. When I arrive in the lobby the old woman is standing behind the desk again, only this time a younger girl with long dark hair is standing there as well.

The girl's eyes go wide and she drops the pen she was holding upon seeing me. I hear the pen clatter on the ground but I don't look to see where it's fallen as we stare at one another. "Hey…" The girl whispers.

"Uh, hi…" I reply, looking between the two women, feeling awkward. Neither of them say anything else so I decide it's time to head back to the room and end all this awkwardness. "Night." I hurry away from the lobby before either can reply.

When I get back to the room it's completely dark and quiet except for Henry's soft breathing. I suddenly feel so exhausted I barely have time to kick off my shoes before I collapse onto the bed next to Henry. My eyes close and for once I'm pulled into a dreamless sleep.

…

The next day Emma, Henry and I are sitting in the only diner in town, run by the same old lady who runs the inn. We ordered hot chocolates and as the dark-haired girl sets them down in front of us it sounds like she almost says our names even though we never introduced ourselves.

"Hey, the cinnamon… How did you know?" Henry calls after the waitress. I look down to find that there is cinnamon gracing the top of the whip cream and I raise an eyebrow at Emma who shrugs her shoulders.

"Uh, lucky guess…You guys got a cinnamon kind of face." She smiles awkwardly and then hurries away.

"I would love to know what it is about our faces that scream 'we love cinnamon in our hot chocolate'." I mutter as I lift the hot drink to my mouth and blow on it.

"Maybe it's our eyes? They probably release those hidden messages." Henry grins playfully and I can't help but smile back just as two newcomers enter the diner and Emma jumps up to meet them.

"Henry, Karina… This is David and Mary Margaret." Both David and Mary Margaret are sporting huge grins as they walk over to our table.

"Are you helping my mom with a case?" Henry asks them and then turns to Emma and whispers, "Or are they the ones who jumped bail?"

"I bet you they jumped bail… She looks way too goodie-two-shoes… It has to be an act." I reply nonchalantly, not even bothering to whisper. Mary Margaret's smile drops for a moment but then two seconds later she's right back at it trying to blind me with her white teeth.

"They're just old friends." Emma smiles fondly at the two.

"From where?" I ask curiously.

"Here!" Emma says at the same time that Mary Margaret says, "Phoenix."

"Phoenix and then here…" Emma clarifies after a moment.

"But I thought you were only in Phoenix for being in that place…" Henry wonders, looking uncomfortable to even mention it.

"Right, we were cell mates…" Mary Margaret answers as David shoots her a funny look.

Henry looks surprised and I snort. "I told you…" I sing and Henry grins back, nodding enthusiastically. "What were you in for?"

"… Banditry?" It sounds more like a question than a statement.

I turn to look at Emma and she's giving Mary Margaret the kind of look that reflects what I'm thinking. The look that says, 'what on earth are you talking about?'.

"People make mistakes! But the important thing is to find a way to keep moving on." Mary Margaret and David sit down at the booth with us as they give each other a strange look.

"Did you know my dad?" Henry asks and Emma covers her face with her hands.

"Should we order? Let's order!" David calls cheerfully, smiling a large, fake grin as he waves the waitress over.

"Well this is fun!" I mutter sarcastically just as the diner is filled with the sound of a shattering dish. I spin around to find a woman standing there, staring at Henry with open mouth shock.

"O-Oh, I'm sorry… I didn't mean to startle you…" She says after a very long moment of staring.

"Oh, um, that's ok." Henry replies nervously and then immediately takes a large gulp of his hot chocolate.

"It's hot." I caution but I'm too late as he immediately drops the cup and starts fanning his mouth. "I warned you…"

"Yea, a bit too late." He grumbles, but I can see the teasing glint in his dark brown eyes.

"So, are you having a boy or a girl?" I turn to Mary Margaret, attempting to have a conversation with these strangers. Clearly, they're important to Emma, judging by the warm smile she has for each of them, so I might as well try and get to know them better.

"Oh, we don't know… We… Wanted it to be a surprise." Mary Margaret smiles, but it's a nervous smile.

I cock my head to the side and narrow my eyes a little. Something strange is definitely happening in this town. Emma must think I'm deluded if she thinks I don't catch all the strange looks and the whispers, or the outright staring most of the town members do whenever they see us. All morning since we've arrived at the diner we've experienced that kind of behaviour. Mary Margaret and David are acting no different. I don't know if I should pass everyone off in this town as eccentric or look into things to see if something else is going on.

Emma's phone beeps with a text and as she reads it her eyes go wide. Her head snaps back up and she looks at David, "Um, we need to go… Problem with the case." Both of them jump to their feet and I wait for Mary Margaret to join them. Instead she seems to be settling in.

"Um, Emma…" I follow her to the door. "Did you get us a babysitter? Seriously?"

"Don't think of her as a babysitter… Think of her as a friend keeping you company!" Emma smiles but she immediately drops the smile when she notices my annoyance.

"I think I'm old enough to not require a babysitter… And I'm old enough to look after both Henry and me. I did it in New York all the time!" I exclaim angrily.

"Yes, but this is a new town and I'm worried about you guys getting lost. Besides, she's an old friend of mine who just wants to get to know you two because she knows you're both important to me… It's not babysitting, I promise." She holds up her hand like a boy scout swearing an oath.

"Uh huh… Fine, whatever." I mutter grumpily as I head back to the table. Henry's playing his game, completely ignoring Mary Margaret as she reads aloud from her book.

I sit down just in time to hear Mary Margaret ask, "Did you know there's such a thing as cradle cap?" She looks horrified. "Babies get it on their heads. It's a crusty, oily, greasy yellow skin rash!" And now I feel just as horrified as she looks…

"Wow." I reply blandly as I flip through the town's newspaper.

"Seriously! This book uses all of those words." She looks at us expectantly as if she wants us to start worrying about her unborn baby's possible contraction of cradle cap too.

"Gross." Henry replies and then cheers over his new level on his game.

"You know, there's a library down the street. We could pop in and get you something if you'd rather… I know how much you love reading."

"How'd you know I like to read?" Henry asks, barely looking up from his game.

"Your mom said…" Mary Margaret replies unconvincingly.

"Cool! We'll go grab our coats and be right down." Henry replies, still absorbed with his game. I shuffle out of the booth and he follows me.

Once we're far enough away from Mary Margaret I say to Henry, "Is it just me or is everybody in this town terrible liars?"

"Nope, it's definitely not just you." Henry replies, finally turning off his game and shoving it into his pocket.

"Ok good… Because I swear something more is definitely going on here and Emma is trying to keep us in the dark. Why else would she assign that buzzkill to sit with us and bore us to death all day?" I jerk my thumb over my shoulder, pointing at Mary Margaret who is still staring at her book with a look of horror.

"Well, we could always go along with it for a bit and if my mom doesn't explain things soon… I say we turn into a couple of detectives." Henry grins mischievously.

"Operation preying mantis?" I laugh, the operation name just popped into my head but it seemed like it would fit.

"Exactly!"

…..

We're walking to the library when I see him. Another person from my nightmares. I stop walking and my jaw drops slightly as I stare at him. He walks by slowly, looking lost in his own world for a few moments, which gives me the time to match his appearance in reality to the one in my dreams.

Same dark hair that sweeps across his forehead, same dark gray eyes and tall, bulky build. He's dressed in all black and the scar across his cheek is in the same place as I've seen it in my dreams. When he finally looks up and our eyes meet he stumbles and his jaw drops. "Captain?" He asks incredulously.

"… Drake?" I reply, unsure if that's truly his name or if it's something I conjured in my dreams.

"You know him?" Henry asks, looking at the man with wide eyes. Mary Margaret looks nervous as she stares between the two of us.

"Where have you been?" He rushes towards me and takes my hands. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Captain… The crew…"

"Why does he keep calling you captain?" Henry walks towards me until he's standing next to me. Drake looks confused as he glances between the two of us and then over our heads at Mary Margaret. Suddenly, realization dawns on his face and he drops my hands and takes several steps back.

"I-I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else. I have to go."

"Hey! Wait!" I call after him as he turns and starts running away. I'm about to chase after him when Mary Margaret grabs my arm. "Let me go!"

"C'mon, Karina… Just let him go. He clearly thinks you're someone else." Mary Margaret pulls on my arm repeatedly as she tries to coax me into leaving with her.

"Let go!" I shout again and jerk my arm from her grip. "I'll be back." I say to Henry and then rush after the man, calling out to him. "Hey, wait! You get back here!"

"Look, lady, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else… Can you just leave me alone?" Drake demands exasperatedly. He barely turns to speak to me as he hurries across the street, waving at a car that honks angrily at him.

"Do you think I'm stupid? The look you had when you saw me… That's not a look you give when you're not sure if you know a person or not. You know me… And since I know your name, that means I know you too!" I smile triumphantly at my logic.

"It's a small town… You could've just heard my name somewhere and linked it to my face. I don't know you, you don't know me, end of story." This time he turns to give me a fierce look and then turns back in the direction he's heading.

"Why did you call me captain?" I ask curiously. In my nightmares, I'm a captain of a pirate ship and crew… But that can't possibly be the reason he called me captain now, can it? That's insane!

Drake heaves a heavy sigh, "Would you leave me alone?"

"No!" I reply stubbornly. "Not until you tell me what I want to know."

"There's nothing to tell!" He shouts angrily. "You're just some crazy person who won't leave me alone after a simple misunderstanding!"

His words hurt. Even if I don't want them to, they do. I find myself rooted to my spot as he continues to storm away from me, not once looking back to see the pain he inflicted. _Just some crazy person…_ I fight hard to keep the tears away as his words play over and over again in my head. He must be right… Here I am, chasing after a man I've only seen in my nightmares where I've killed and tortured people. I'm demanding that he gives me answers that aren't really there. If Dr. Roberts could see me now he'd certainly write me a ticket to the nearest loony bin.

"What's happening to me?" I whisper. "What is this _town_ doing to me?"

"My offer still stands to help you…" I hear Peter whisper close to my ear but when I spin around he's not there. I look around only to realize he's nowhere near me.

Once again I find myself wondering if I'm truly losing my mind… And if making a deal with the devil will stop it.

 **A/N:** I apologize for the chapter being a little shorter than usual. But I had a hard time writing this chapter. I also want to apologize for the lack of action in these first few chapters. Karina will be regaining her memory soon… I won't be keeping her in the dark as long as the show kept Henry in the dark. Once she regains her memories, things will get much more interesting!

I will try to update again in a few days to make up for this chapter being shorter.

Please take a moment to review!


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Five ~**

 _I watch from the back of a thick crowd in a large, stone courtroom as a thief and murderer is marched to his death. The royals of this land plan to behead him with a sharp axe, ending his life and hopefully ending their misery._

 _The sun beats down on me and the amount of people surrounding me doesn't help either. Even though the heavy black cloak I wear is making me warmer than I need to be I refuse to take it off. It's the only thing disguising what I really am. A pirate._

 _If anyone were to see me their attention would be immediately pulled from the man about to die to me. Pirates are considered to be much worse than any common thief or killer. Pirates are said to be black-hearted, cold, soulless and they do every despicable thing that common miscreants do, only they do them for pleasure and they commit the horrible acts on a regular basis._

 _Of course, I would like to say that those stereotypes are wrong. But I've proven time and time again that the people are right to whisper those rumors of pirates. Ever since leaving my home in search of my father I have done all the terrible things a pirate should do and more._

 _Why wouldn't I? My father was a pirate. He may have been a good and honourable man back when he was in the king's navy but he quickly fell into a dark depression when his brother was killed and became a pirate to take back what he believed was owed to him._

 _I've heard rumors that my father is still very much alive, despite all the years that have passed, and he has only become even more fierce as a pirate with a fearsome crew to match. If I am to go against him and get my revenge I will need a crew that is even more fierce than he and his men are combined so that I may take him down and destroy him._

 _Because of my quest for revenge, I find myself in this awful, stinking kingdom, preparing to recruit my first crew member. I know that only the best will be able to join my crew because I will accept nothing less. The men I seek will be gruesome and filled with the desire to gain riches and recognition for their crimes. And they will follow me because I will make them follow me. If I learned anything from Peter it was that sometimes you had to prove why you are in charge._

 _And I can prove that. My time spent with Peter and the lost boys hardened me and now I'm sure I can take down any opponent. I may be a small girl, appearing only sixteen years old, but I've lived several lifetimes and fought in wars against the fierce creatures of Neverland. If I can fight mermaids and win, I can fight a few criminals._

" _Drake Ryley, you are accused of the following crimes: theft, murder and witchcraft… For your crimes you will die by beheading and then your body will be burned. You brought this fate upon yourself with your own crimes and now you will face the consequences." The old king shouts angrily as the crowd murmurs apprehensively. "Any last words?"_

" _I'm just sorry I couldn't fuck your wife before I died." Drake grins cheekily and the king shouts angrily for the man's head as the crowd gasps. Meanwhile, the queen looks as though she's almost flattered by Drake's proclamation and I'm sure it's because she gets nothing from her tired, old husband._

" _Off with his head!" The king shouts. With his order the executioner shoves Drake forward until he's landed on his knees and then he pushes him down until his neck rests firmly on the wooden block which is already stained from the blood of many people before him._

 _I wait until I see the executioner pick up his axe and test the sharpness of the blade before I make my move. Once I see him preparing to behead the man I start roughly pushing my way through the crowd. I hear some men growl at me to 'watch where I'm going' and women gasp and say 'excuse me' in a haughty tone of voice, but I ignore it all. My attention is focused solely on Drake and the axe that is about to sever his head from the rest of his body._

 _As I get closer to the stage and the crowd gets louder because of my disruption, the executioner stops for a second to look out and see what's going on. That second is all I need as I swing up onto the platform and kick the executioner in the chest, sending him flying backwards. As he falls, he flails the axe in the air and it manages to lodge itself in one of the guard's chest who was standing on the stage._

 _Shocked screams and gasps come from the crowd as I pull out my sword and cut the ropes around Drake's wrists. He jumps to his feet and shoots me a relieved, but odd look and then takes the sword I hold out to him. As the executioner gets up, swinging the axe he pulled from the guard's chest, I dodge his weapon and then lift my sword and slice off the hand that was holding the axe. The guard grips his wrist with his good hand and cries out, but I cut off his shouting my plunging my sword straight into his eye. It goes out through the back of his skull and the blood splatters on a few members of the crowd who chose to stand too close to the stage._

 _I hear the shouting of a guard and I look back to see he's right on me. I quickly try to pull the sword out of the executioner's head but I realize that I won't manage to do it in time. Thankfully, Drake decided to stay and repay the favour of me saving him from death by stabbing the guard in the back and pushing him off the stage._

 _Drake tries to peer through the darkness of my hood but I know it's covered my face well and he won't be able to see who his saviour is until I reveal myself to him. "This way." I say and jump off the stage. I'm prepared to push my way through the crowd but a large gap forms as everyone separates, eager to get out of my way. Drake follows me and I hear the king shouting but his guards are in such a disarray after watching many of their comrades die bloody that it takes them a moment to organise and chase after us._

 _I lead Drake and the remaining guards on a wild chase until we finally lose the guards and we're able to stop in a dark ally and catch our breathes. "I suppose… I should thank you… For saving my life." I don't say anything as I try to breathe evenly so he continues. "It would be much easier to thank you if I knew your name… I know you're a woman because of your voice, even though I only heard you say two words… And because of your petite stature. No way a man would look as good as you do in black leather pants and knee-high boots."_

 _I can't help myself but laugh as I throw back my hood, revealing my long dark hair with many strands of it having been tied into braids and the typical pirate jewelry adorns it as well. Our eyes meet and I can see my blue eyes reflected in his gray ones, the wildness still there after the thrilling chase and I'm pleased to see that same look shines back in his eyes._

" _And petite you are…" Drake muses. "You must be, what? Seventeen? Eighteen?"_

" _I'm actually over one hundred years old… But I'm frozen at sixteen." I reply coolly, my smirk resting on my dark red lips._

" _Ah, yes, now you see, that was my next guess." Drake points a finger at me and my smile grows bigger. "Now, tell me…"_

" _Karina."_

" _Karina… Why did you save me?" He raises an eyebrow. "Not that I'm not grateful… But you see, I'm kind of a bad man and you just pissed off a very powerful king by saving me and killing his guards and executioner."_

" _You say you're a bad man… But I can assure you that you are not the worst that I have met. Because of that, I'm not afraid of you because I've fought the worst and I've survived the worst." As I think of Peter I can't help but smile because not only did I survive the worst, but I fell in love with it._

" _Oh, I'm not saying you should be afraid… I saw how you ruthlessly killed that executioner… Any girl who can do that earns my respect because I would hate for that to end up being my fate…" He smirks as he raises his hand in mock surrender. "I'm just curious as to why you chose to save me… You did hear I've been accused of witchcraft, yes?"_

" _Yes I did, and that is one of the many reasons I chose to save you…" I trail off and watch as his facial expression piques with clear interest. "You see, I'm on a path for revenge and although I'm a pirate very capable of running a crew, that is exactly what I lack…"_

" _You want to form a crew and play pirates." Drake smirks and crosses his huge arms over his burly chest. "Sorry, but I'm no pirate."_

" _But you can be…" I step forward until we're standing inches apart. "You already act like one… Follow me and you'll have riches you never imagined… Riches you could never steal on your own. Not to mention you'll be famous. I'll make sure of that. We'll take what we please, when we please and we'll sail under the crimson flag… Leaving our enemies no quarter. Are you with me?"_

 _Drake looks like he's about to refuse but then he stops to think about it and a slow smirk crosses over his face. "No quarter, huh?" He asks mischievously._

" _None, whatsoever." I reply, my grin as equally devious as his own._

" _You have yourself a deal." He reaches out his hand and we shake on it. My first member of my new crew a ruthless criminal who will remain loyal to me because of our mutual interests._

….

I wake up with a gasp, my eyes wide as I wipe away a thick layer of sweat from my face. I had seen so much death in that nightmare and yet I didn't wake up screaming. Could I be desensitized to those awful dreams? I've been seeing them for so long that it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I was. But then I think of Peter's words the other day, telling me I'm oddly fascinated by the awful things I witness in my nightmares. Maybe my curiosity is getting the best of me and that's why I didn't wake up screaming…

Another thing that was different about that dream was that for the first time since I started having them I mentioned names… And a place. I said Peter's name, I talked about the lost boys and I mentioned… Neverland. Like that Disney movie with that red headed twelve year old boy and the jealous fairy and the very annoying lost boy who wear animal costumes… Henry made me watch it once and I couldn't get through it because although I liked Peter and Tinkerbell and the lost boys had their moments… I couldn't stand Wendy. She was so whiney and even more annoying than the lost boys. In fact, I think the best part of the movie was when Tinkerbell convinced the lost boys that Wendy was a bird and they tried to shoot her down… But then Peter saved her.

So many things were different about that dream and yet it feels like nothing was different at all. I still see images that confuse me and yet also seem familiar, and I still see the same faces. Only this time those faces had names… It's like my mind is finally starting to fill in the holes of long forgotten memories. But no matter how hard I try these so-called "memories" still only feel like dreams despite the familiar feel to them.

I shake my head vigorously, eager to rid myself of those thoughts. I swing my legs over the side of the bed and stretch, my eyes landing on the clock. I'm surprised to see it's almost noon. When I look around I notice a note from Emma saying she's working on the case and Henry's with the mayor, sightseeing and that I should join them when I wake up.

I roll my eyes and toss the note on the bed. Emma is eager for me to be babysat by all her sudden new best friends but all she's doing is making me even more eager to learn what's really happening in this town. After yesterday with Drake recognizing me and then pretending he didn't (because I _know_ he did, he just didn't want to admit it for whatever reason) and now I've dreamed of him again… I'm determined to get some answers.

Unfortunately, the only person who's offered me any kind of answer is the one person I wish I didn't have to see.

Peter.

I don't even know how to find him. He left no phone number, no email, no address… Nothing. He always shows up when I want to see him the least, like an annoying bug that keeps coming back no matter how many times I try to squish him under my shoe.

I decide my best bet at finding him is to walk around town aimlessly. I'm sure if I start doing something mildly interesting he'll show up with his own commentary on the matter.

With that in mind I quickly go shower and dress. I grab some money on the table Emma left and head down to the diner, where I order a coffee and a muffin to go. As per usual, the other diner occupants openly stare at me as I pay and tip the waitress, smiling my thanks as I take my food and walk out the door.

I munch on my blueberry muffin as I walk through the streets of the small town, looking at all the little shops and waving back at a few people who smile and wave at me. One nice thing about small towns is that everyone seems to know everybody and even though they don't know me they're eager to learn about me and know me so they smile and wave like they would to anyone else.

I come across a little shop called _Gold's Pawn Shop_ and I peer in the windows, surprised at all the little trinkets that litter the store. It mostly looks like junk to me but I'm sure there are a few things in there that people would find interesting. I see a woman with brown hair and clear eyes standing behind the desk at the store. She waves at me and I wave back and quickly move on. Something about that shop gives me weird vibes and I'd rather leave as quickly as I can.

"Karina, hi!" I hear a voice call behind me and I turn to see a red headed man with a big toothy grin walking a Dalmatian.

"Uh, hi…" I reply, wondering who this man is and why he knows my name.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I guess you haven't met me yet. It's just that Emma told me so much about you I was eager to meet you myself." The man stops in front of me with a wide smile. "My name's Dr. Archie Hopper."

"Doctor?" I ask curiously and I notice he's wearing a tweed jacket. Before I can help myself I roll my eyes. "Emma wants me to see you for therapy sessions, doesn't she?" I don't see the point in participating in polite chit chat. Why else would a therapist seek me out on the street and say, 'Emma told me so much about you!'. Obviously, her motives weren't simply to talk about the orphan she took in last year.

"What? No! No! Not all… I mean, if you wanted to, my door is always open! But no, I just wanted to meet you because she did just say how truly amazing you are." He beams and I have to repress the urge to roll my eyes again.

"Um, thanks." I reply, feeling annoyed.

"So, are you doing a little sight-seeing today?" Dr. Hopper gestures around the street.

"Actually, I'm looking for a boy who mostly exists in my mind, but could possibly exist in reality as well. I'm hoping if I do something outrageous enough he'll come out of hiding and give me the answers he promised." I smile cheekily. "Ok? Now, bye!" I wave at him like nothing's wrong and turn to walk away, leaving the therapist sputtering behind me.

"Well, if you wanted to see me, all you had to do was call out my name. I would've heard. No reason to get yourself committed to a mental hospital." Peter smirks as he suddenly appears next to me.

"I _knew_ you would show up if I did something outlandish!" I shout and almost dump my coffee all over my hand in my excitement.

"Uh huh, next time just call my name. No matter where you are I'll hear you and show up." The boy replies as he pulls my muffin out of my hand and takes a bite, his jaw working as he chews down my breakfast. "So, what questions did you want me to answer?" He asks around a mouthful of food.

I purse my lips together and then decide to take the plunge and ask him anyways, "Is your real name Peter Pan?"

He starts choking on his muffin and I watch him in amusement. "You remembered?" He asks and I feel my eyes go wide.

"Wait, what? Your name really is Peter Pan?" I shriek as we stare at one another with wide eyes.

"You were the one that asked!" Peter shouts, pointing accusingly.

"Yea, but I didn't think you'd confirm it!"

"Hey, technically I haven't confirmed it yet." Peter mutters as he throws the muffin wrapper in the garbage and then takes my coffee out of my hands, taking a long sip.

"Oh, c'mon, your reaction confirmed it." I grumble as I rip my coffee out of his hands.

"How did you come to me being Peter Pan?" He asks curiously.

I take a sip of my coffee as I contemplate my answer. "Well, I had a dream last night of this other guy I've seen in town, and-,"

"What guy?" Peter cuts me off and narrows his eyes. "Who did you dream about?"

"Are… Are you jealous?" I ask incredulously, a large grin stretching across my face.

"No. Of course not." Peter grumbles.

"Because you know I can't control my dreams…" He waves his hand for me to continue and shakes his head. "Whatever, _anyways_ , in my dream I mentioned Peter, lost boys, and Neverland… Now I've seen the Disney movie and I know Peter's real name is Peter Pan… Your name is Peter and if I'm mentioning it and we were… Intimate in some of my dreams and I talked about… Falling in love… With a guy named Peter… Well…" I trail off, feeling too uncomfortable to continue. Here I am, accusing this guy of being Peter Pan and also telling him that in my dreams we've been intimate and I've admitted that I love him.

Peter's answering grin reminds me exactly why I should feel uncomfortable. "In your dreams you said you love me?" His smile is clearly teasing and I hate it.

"No, I said I love a guy named Peter from Neverland. Never mentioned you." I grumble as I cup my coffee closer to my chest.

"Uh huh… But I'm Peter Pan." He replies, gesturing to himself.

"Um, I don't know that for sure yet. Just because I'm asking you these questions doesn't mean I believe any of it. For all I know you could be some psychopath who tries to convince people you're Peter Pan because you're afraid of growing up when really, you're an escaped mental hospital patient." I shoot him a dubious look.

He rolls his eyes. "What can I do to prove it to you?"

"I don't know… Last I checked, you look nothing like Peter Pan. You don't have the red hair, you don't wear the green leotards and you don't hang around with that insipid Wendy girl." I roll my eyes and Peter starts to laugh. "What?"

"I just find it hilarious that you hate every version of Wendy, even when you have no memories." He continues to laugh despite my clear confusion.

I let him laugh for a few minutes before I finally cut him off by saying, "I know how you can prove to me that you're really Peter Pan… Introduce me to Tinkerbell." I smile triumphantly.

"Yea… While I can normally do that… I can't exactly do that right now…" He looks uncomfortable. "I'm sort of undercover right now… While Tinkerbell is certainly in this town and you can probably meet her any time you want… People in this town don't know I'm here and I'd prefer to keep it that way."

"Why?" I ask curiously.

"Because I'm not exactly friends with the people in this town. I'm sure they'd try to kill me if they found out I'm here and alive."

"Then why are you here?" I wonder aloud.

Peter suddenly gets very serious as he looks at me and says, "Well… I'm here for you." When I don't say anything he continues, "I told you I want to help you get your memories back, otherwise I wouldn't be in this awful town."

We stay quiet for a few minutes as I sip my coffee mindfully. After a while I decide to change the subject, "So why am I dreaming these things where I'm the star of them and they act a lot like memories… Yet, I have no memory of them?"

"They are your memories. It's a very long story that I'm not sure you're ready to hear… But something happened a year ago that made you lose your memories and I suppose it's your mind trying to get them back for you in the only way it knows how. Unfortunately, because you had all those memories taken away they seem a lot like nightmares because you can't remember doing them." He explains it thoughtfully, though his words bring a sick twist to my stomach.

"So, I really did that stuff then? I killed all those people? I pushed a girl off a cliff?" I swallow thickly.

"Yea, that girl? Wendy Darling." Peter replies, grinning mischievously.

"Seriously?" I exclaim and when he nods enthusiastically I suddenly find myself feeling a little bit less regret over the entire thing. "Why did I try to push her off a cliff?" I never got that far in the nightmare, I always woke up right when I pushed her off a cliff and heard her scream.

"You were jealous. You thought I liked her more than you." Peter smirks and I roll my eyes.

Suddenly my phone starts to ring and I expect it to be Emma, demanding I find Henry and the mayor so I can be babysat when I see it's actually Zach calling. I roll my eyes and answer the phone only to hang up immediately after so he can't leave me a message. I shove my phone back in my pocket and look up to see Peter staring at me, clearly amused.

"Are you ever going to give the boy a chance?" Peter asks sarcastically.

"No." I snort.

"Good." Peter replies and I realize he's extremely serious and I notice that little hint of jealousy in his eyes. I'm about to tease him for being jealous when Peter's face lights up with an idea. "I think I just thought of something to help you get your memories back… I mean, it might be painful and all your memories will come rushing back at once… But it could work."

"How are you going to do that?" I ask carefully, not liking the mischievous look in his eyes.

"With magic, of course." Peter snorts. "I can't guarantee it'll work though. I'm still trying to figure out how to break the spell that was done on you. Obviously it wasn't a very good one since it's been slowly wearing off over the past year, but it's still there nonetheless and I can't just cast a spell over it. That could make things worse, not better."

"And yet you want me to try this spell and be in pain… Great." I mutter and then my mind backtracks to what he said. "Wait, a _spell_ did this to me?"

"Of course, why else would you have no memory except for a few crucial ones like how you got to meet Emma and Henry? It was all put in your head to fill the place of your original memories. Only the person that did it did very sloppy work and it's all falling apart. Probably because you're too old and have too many memories."

He's talking so fast now about things I couldn't possibly begin to understand but I decide to take his word for it. Somehow, I sense he's telling the truth and that I need to trust him in this. It's weird that one minute I wanted him to stay away from me and now I'm trusting him with my mind. But if I'm already losing my mind I might as well go all in.

"Alright, let's do this." I say, interrupting whatever it was he had been ranting. "Where should we do it?"

"We can go back to your room at the inn… The spell will put you to sleep. It'll be like every night when you dream and your memories come back to you one by one. When you wake up the spell should be broken." He looks like a scientist contemplating his work.

" _Should_?" I ask nervously.

"Well, like I said, I can't guarantee anything…" He trails off and looks at me expectantly, like he thinks I'm going to back out. Instead, I swallow thickly and then nod my head determinedly.

"Let's do this."

….

I'm lying down on my bed back at the inn with Peter standing over me. My heart thumps wildly in my chest and my palms sweat. Despite the gigantic event that is about to happen to me I can't help but worry about Emma walking in and seeing us in this position. I'd definitely be grounded then.

"Ready?" He asks, his hand on my forehead.

Slowly, I nod my head but then fear takes over me and I reach up and grip his hand. "No…I'm scared. You said this will be painful… What if I can't deal with it?" I can hear the fear in my voice and I hate it.

"I'll be right here the entire time. You won't be alone. Not for a second." Peter replies as he rubs a soothing circle into my temple.

I stare into his deep green eyes for a very long time and I see the promise in his eyes. Again, I slowly nod my head. Only this time, instead of my fear stopping him from casting the spell, the sound of the windows crashing in and the door being kicked open does.

Several men jump into the room and I jump up screaming. Peter throws me against the wall and covers me, facing the newcomers, his body lined with aggression. "Get the hell out of here. I won't say it again." He snarls, anger on his face I've only seen in my nightmares.

"Afraid we can't do that… You see, we're here to kill Karina Jones."

 **A/N:** I know I said I would try to update in a few days, but I wrote this chapter shortly after posting the last one and I like it so much I decided I don't want to wait a few days before posting it. I hope you all liked it!

Please take a moment to review!


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Six ~**

It's not everyday you get a group of terrifying looking men crashing through your windows and door saying that they're going to kill you. In fact, I thought that kind of stuff only ever really happened in movies. But here I am, my back pressed against the wall as a boy who's been trying to convince me that his true identity is Peter Pan faces off against the new threat.

"Um, I hate to break it to you gentleman, but… While my name is Karina, my last name isn't Jones…" Truth is, I can't remember what my real last name is. I've always used Emma's last name, Swan. It's another hole in my memory. I can't remember ever having a different last name but I must have. Of course, I'm not going to tell these men that.

I eye their weapons in their hands; swords and daggers… One man is even holding a very heavy looking wrench. A few of them sneer at me while the obvious leader of the group rolls his eyes. "Don't lie to us. We'd recognize you anywhere, Captain."

"So you would be her infamous crew then… How sad your loyalty is so easily swayed." Peter snarls. I have yet to see him act this way, yet the anger appears almost natural on his face. In my dreams he almost always seemed angry. But from the little time I've spent with him recently, he seemed sarcastic and maybe even a little annoyed at times, but never angry.

 _My crew?_ I shake my head, looking around the room nervously as some of the men inch closer. My heart pounds in my chest and before I can stop myself I reach forward and grip Peter's wrist for comfort. I half expect him to pull away but I release a relieved breath when he doesn't.

"I could say the same to you… Here you are, spending all your time following _her_ around when your own lost boys are scattered across the worlds." The leader smirks. He's an impressively tall man with deep brown hair and a thick beard. A scar runs from his temple, across both eyes to the other side of his head. I'm surprised he still has sight in both of his eyes.

"My loyalty lies with Karina first and foremost. It always has." I turn to give Peter a wide-eyed stare, surprised by his proclamation of loyalty. His attention is still focused on the leader of this group of men so he doesn't notice my obvious surprise.

"Well, that's unfortunate because if you won't back down we'll have to kill you too. Our leader was willing to let you live. She's heard of you and she'd be willing to let you join her before she burns this town to the ground. But she also promised us Karina's head and if you won't hand her over, well…" The man's grin turns sinister as his gaze turns from Peter to me.

Peter snorts loudly which draws the attention of the man back to him. "Why on earth would I ever join her? We both know who would win if she faced me. She may be wicked, but I can assure you… I'm much worse." He throws his arms out and grins wickedly. "Peter Pan never fails."

"We'll see." One of the other men rumble behind their leader and laughter erupts around the room. It's dark and chilling, sending shivers down my spine as I realize just how truly evil these men are. Even their laughter could make a child run the other way in terror.

"Hand over the girl." The leader snarls, his patience clearly very thin. He puts his hand on the hilt of his sword and takes a menacing step forward. "I won't ask again."

"And I won't tell you to leave again." Peter suddenly seems very calm and that scares me. He's much too calm. His face holds this expectant look as he looks around at the men. It's as though he expects them to leave in a line without any more arguments.

The men look around at one another and the moment their leader nods they rush towards us. I release a shrill scream and cower against the wall just as fire erupts in Peter's hand. I scream again upon seeing him conjure fire out of thin air and hold it in the palm of his hand so easily. The men stop rushing us upon seeing the fire as well and glance at each other nervously.

"Captain?" One of the men asks their leader worriedly.

"C'mon men, there's plenty of us and only one of him! Karina won't fight, not while her memory is gone. Now's our chance!" The leader rallies his men to rush at us again, but then one of the men bursts into flames before they can get much farther. I look at Peter to see that the fireball had left his hand. He quickly conjures another and stares around at the other men, smiling insanely.

Suddenly an image pops into my head of a blonde mermaid erupting in flames and even when she tried to dive underwater to stop the fire nothing would help. She burned alive and Peter had been the cause of it. All because she tried to hurt me…

The man's screams that had once filled the room start to die as he burns alive and slowly loses his ability to live. Soon, a burnt skeleton collapses on the ground, the skull's mouth open in horror. The men look at it and some even curse as they inspect the small remnants of their comrade's corpse.

"Well?" He asks expectantly. Some of the men start rushing out the window while a few try to hold their ground, but they all look nervous. The only one who doesn't is their leader and I wonder if he's really that brave or simply stupid.

"You will regret this." The leader snarls. But he's not looking at Peter. He's looking at me. "Your precious body guard won't always be around and all it takes is one, well-shot arrow." He lifts his index finger and smirks. I swallow thickly. "You will pay for what you did to us."

With his threat lingering in the air behind him he turns and jumps out the window, the rest of his men jumping out quickly after him.

Once their gone I feel like I can finally breathe. Tears well up in my eyes and then flow down my cheeks as my back slides down the wall until I'm sitting on the ground. I start to hyperventilate, gasping desperately for air and releasing it with a deep exhale.

Peter kneels in front of me and wipes away my tears with his fingers. "Are you ok?" He asks worriedly.

I start to shake my head as more tears fall down my cheeks. "It's all real… Everything you said… The dreams I've been having… It's all true. Something happened and I lost my memories… I'm not even who I think I am…" I hadn't truly believed anything Peter was saying before, even if I was willing to test out his idea. I didn't really believe. But seeing Peter handle fire like that, controlling it so effortlessly with magic… Because it _was_ magic. What else could it be? And if magic is real… Whose to say everything else can't be real either?

"Yes, it's all true. I wasn't lying to you. About anything…" Peter murmurs as he takes my hands in his and holds them tightly.

"Those men… They used to be…" I trail off. The words I'm thinking seem too absurd to say aloud.

"They used to be a part of your crew… Joseph, their leader, always had a problem with you and your lieutenant, Drake. He was angry you chose Drake to be your lieutenant over him. When you were a pirate… You were fierce. You may have looked like a young girl but you commanded your crew with an iron fist and they respected you for it. I think… I think that's why he wants to kill you so badly now. Once you regain your memories… He won't be able to beat you. Right now, you're like a sitting duck. A target. Without your memories you are weak."

"But if he kills me before I get my memories back I won't be able to challenge him… Those men, they're already calling him captain. He must want to keep it that way." The pieces click into place as I realize Joseph's plan.

"Exactly. I can beat him down and I can even kill him, but all that's going to do is make him a martyr to his people. You need to get your memories back and beat him yourself. It's the only way we'll be able to save your life. Unless…" He trails off and his facial expression suddenly becomes very angelic. I narrow my eyes suspiciously. "I could just kill them all. Then the threat is gone completely and you won't even have to fight anyone."

"No! You are not going to kill them all." I shake my head vehemently.

"When did you become such a goodie-two-shoes?" Peter grumbles.

"Peter, I don't think they're all evil. Some of them could be following Joseph simply because I'm not around. That doesn't mean they deserve to die. _Some of them_ could still be loyal to me. Like Drake." I shakily get to my feet, still feeling sick to my stomach after that encounter. "Which is why you need to get my memories back. Now."

Peter shakes his head and smirks. "It's good to have you back."

"Well, I'm not back just yet…" I try to say it jokingly but the seriousness in his eyes stops me.

"Maybe I don't have you back completely, but I will… Soon." We stare at each other for a very long time. The tension in the room is so thick I'm sure I could cut it with a knife. I'm tempted to throw myself at him and crash my lips to his but I restrain myself. Just because I think we were romantic, doesn't mean we were. Who knows what parts of my dreams were true or not.

"Um, Peter… What are we going to do about the body?" I ask awkwardly, desperate to break the tension in the room. I point at the charred skeleton and Peter blinks several times, looking at it like he completely forgot about it.

"Oh… Right." He waves his hand and suddenly the room is put back together. The window is no longer shattered, the door closes with no sign of ever having been kicked in and the skeleton disappears.

"Wow…" I breathe. "I'm surprised that old lady who runs this inn didn't come rushing up here with all the noise. That would've been fun trying to explain the burnt corpse."

"It happens in this town more often than you would think." Peter replies nonchalantly and my jaw drops. He continues, acting like he doesn't see my horror. "I could feel a protective barrier go around the room seconds before they burst in. I'm sure the person they're working with cast it to give them some privacy."

"Who are they working with?" I ask curiously as Peter leads me to the bed and gets me to lie down.

"That's a story best explained once you've gotten your memories back." He places his hand on my forehead again.

Just like before I tightly grip his wrist and look up into his eyes. "Peter… Joseph said he was going to kill me when you're not around…"

Peter's face darkens. "That won't be happening. Trust me. I'm not leaving you alone now. Besides, once you wake up you should have your memories again and you'll be able to hurt him in ways that I can't."

I release a long breath and then nod my head. "Let's do this." Peter nods his head and then before I can say anything else I feel this hot sensation envelope my head and my eyes close as I drift off.

…..

My eyes open and I look around, blinking slowly. It takes me a moment to register where I am and remember what happened. My eyes make contact with a set of dark green eyes and I jump, surprised to find someone staring at my so intensely.

"What happened? You were out for a minute… If that! Do you remember anything?" Peter asks curiously, seeming a little annoyed.

"Um…" I search my brain for any new memories but find the same frustrating half memories with all the holes. "No." I mutter, feeling defeated.

Peter growls angrily. "That damn evil queen… I should've known her work wouldn't hold up but would still be enough to annoy me." He starts to pace the room and I sit up to watch him.

"The evil queen?" I ask curiously.

"Regina." Peter mutters, not stopping his pacing or looking at me.

"Wait… The _mayor_?! She's an… Evil queen?" The words sound strange coming from my mouth but I suppose I should get used to it. I have a feeling I'll never be able to play ignorant again after today. My life has been thrown into danger and now I need to get my memories back for my own safety.

"She's _the_ Evil Queen… Except she apparently sucks at doing memory spells." Peter rolls his eyes and runs his fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up in funny places. "I need to do some research." He heads for the door and I jump up.

"Whoa, hey, wait… What about the crazy pirates trying to kill me?" I ask nervously.

"Don't worry about them. Just because you can't see me, doesn't mean I'm not around. They try anything I'll be there… But, just in case, stay close to other people. I can't put a spell around your room here without Emma or Regina sensing it. I'm afraid they'll recognize the scent of dark magic and I can't risk them discovering me… I will be around. Just not always where you can see me." He winks and then opens the door like he's going to walk out but instead he disappears into thin air.

"Oh, because that isn't disconcerting at all…" I mutter. I wrap my arms around myself and slowly look around the room. Although Peter had gotten rid of any signs of the intruders I still can't help but see the shattered window and dead body on the floor even though it's all long gone.

I see my phone on my bed and rush to grab it. I dial the number of the one person who I know will make me feel better even without trying. Nova.

"Um, Karina?! Where the hell have you been, girl?!" She shrieks the moment she picks up the phone. I laugh as I grab my coat and rush out of the room, eager to find Henry or Emma or _anyone_ to stay with me. I'll even take Mary Margaret and her baby talk.

"I'm sorry, Nov, I've been busy." I figure that's my safest answer. How could I even tell her a fraction of the things that have happened to me since leaving New York without seeming completely insane?

"Busy? _Busy_?! What is that supposed to mean? I thought you were _dead!_ " She exclaims angrily. I'm about to roll my eyes at her over-the-top theatrics when I realize that I really _did_ come close to death. I could be dead right now if it wasn't for Peter. "Um, hello? Karina! Are you even listening to me?"

"Sorry, I'm just looking for Henry." I say as I walk into the diner, searching all the unfamiliar faces.

"Whatever. What's the town like?" She asks and just like that she switches from annoyed to cheerful. It's always amazed me how quickly she can switch her moods without any provocation.

"Small… And weird." I mutter as I leave the diner.

"Well yea, most small towns are like that. Have you seen Mr. Gorgeous a lot?" Nova asks and I can practically hear her wiggling her brows.

"Mr. Gorgeous?" I ask distractedly. I'm so busy looking around everywhere for any sign of crazy pirates trying to kill me I'm having a hard time following the conversation.

"Emma's friend, Killian!" Nova chirps.

"Oh, um… A little. I haven't really seen much of anyone but Henry in this town. Emma's super busy with her "case" I hardly see her. Did you know Killian actually has a hook for a hand? He might really be a psychopath…"

"Oh, a hook for a hand… That might be interesting in bed…" Nova muses and I can feel the revulsion go through me like a shockwave.

"Ew! Nova, don't be gross!"

"I'm _kidding_! But speaking of guys in bed… Have you spoken to Zach yet?" Her tone is innocent but I know she's been waiting forever to ask me about it.

I roll my eyes. "Nice switch of topic."

"He _really_ misses you and he's sorry! He wants to talk to you but you always pick up and hang up so he can't leave a message. And you've blocked his texts! I talked about what happened with him and he really feels bad. He was drunk and he didn't mean anything." Nova rambles on but I can't help but think of Peter. I was already worried about my lack of feelings for Zach before I even met Peter… And now that I've met him and my entire life is changing before my eyes I'm finding it even harder to think of Zach the way a girlfriend should.

"Ok, Nova, if I agree to talk to him will you stop talking about it?" I ask desperately. I know she won't stop until I do talk to him. Her and Zach were good friends long before I came along and she'll keep defending him no matter what.

"YES! I'll tell him to call you and you better answer!" Nova cheers. Once I've given in to her request that I talk to Zach she moves on to simpler things, like everything that's happening at school and making fun of her dad's newest girlfriend.

By the time I find Henry Nova had cheered me up exactly like I knew she would. When I finally let her go I have a large grin on my face and suddenly my worries aren't so pressing.

…

The next morning I wake up early. Henry's still sleeping but Emma is nowhere to be found. All the dreams I had last night were ones I'd already seen before and because of that they had little effect on me.

I can smell bacon cooking down in the diner and since I'm wide awake I decide to dress and head down there. I can hear voices, all of them voices of people I recognize and one of them being Emma herself.

I'm about to turn the corner and make my presence known when I hear Emma say, "Because dead men love vacation homes. Can someone explain to me how this is even possible? We all saw Gold, he…"

"Disappeared into nothingness." Mary Margaret finishes for her, sounding far from amused. I press my back against the wall and listen closely, curious to see what on earth they are talking about. Perhaps I'll finally get answers to some of my questions.

"I might have an inkling…" I hear Killian speak up. "When we went back to the Enchanted Forest Neal was talking about the possibility of getting his father back."

"What? How?" David asks, sounding shocked.

"He didn't know how… It's just… He was desperate. He missed his family… Which I could understand… He believed that bringing his father back would be the key." Killian mutters.

"Well if that was his plan than something must have gone wrong… Because if Gold _might_ be alive and kicking, Neal is… We don't know what he is! We don't even know if he made it back to Storybrooke, no one's seen him since this new curse."

"He's out there somewhere." David reassures Emma.

"With all due respect, we have bigger problems than who brought Gold back… The fact that he was in the wicked witch's basement is one. I want to know what the hell she was cooking up with him?" Regina sounds annoyed.

I shake my head as I try to process their words. A curse? The wicked witch? Bringing some man named Gold back from the dead? Seriously? What is going on in this town?

I tune back in to hear Mary Margaret say, "Well there's one way to find that out and it's to ask Gold."

"I'm going back to that farm house to see if that witch left behind a potion or maybe a special ingredient." I hear the shuffling of feet and chairs scuffing on the floor. I inch further into the hallway, nervous they might turn the corner and see me eavesdropping.

I hear Emma warn Regina to be careful and then there's more shuffling and a door opening and closing. I'm about to walk into the room when I hear Killian ask, "How's Karina doing?"

"She's… Doing ok, for the most part. I can tell she knows I'm lying to her, but I don't know what else to tell her. She hasn't been having as many nightmares… I think being back here is good for her. Even if she doesn't realize it." Emma explains. "How are you doing? It can't be easy, seeing her here and she doesn't know who you are."

"I'm managing." Killian replies, but his voice sounds tight.

"You know you can spend time with her… I need people to look after her and Henry, keep them from figuring out too much. Henry could go with Regina for the day and you can take Karina." Emma replies softly.

 _Is she trying to sell me off to this older guy?! In what world is it ok for a seventeen year old girl to spend time with a thirty year old man?_ I want to storm into the room angrily and slap both of them but I stop myself as my curiosity gets the best of me.

"Unfortunately, I think Karina thinks I'm not in my right mind… She looks at me like she wants nothing to do with me. But then again, that isn't much different when she had her memories and knew that I'm her father."

I don't hear Emma's response as suddenly my entire world goes into slow motion. I can hear my heart thudding in my chest and my blood rushing through my body, but those noises seem so distant as my thoughts scatter into millions of pieces. _Killian is… My dad? That's not possible… Wouldn't I recognize my own father? Even with some spell cast on me that takes away my memories? He's my father… I should know instinctively that we're related… Shouldn't I? Do we even look alike? I guess we sort of do… Same blue eyes and dark hair… But lots of people have dark hair and blue eyes..._

Slowly I stumble back to the room, my breathing heavy as I rush inside and slam the door shut behind me. My loud entrance wakes Henry and he sits up, rubbing his eyes.

"Karina? Are you ok?" He takes one look at my expression and then jumps out of bed. "What's wrong?"

"Kid, I…" I start to say and then shake my head as tears roll down my cheeks. "Ugh, I'm so _sick_ of crying." I wipe at my cheeks. "What is happening to me? What is this town doing to me?"

"Karina, maybe you should just sit down…" Henry leads me to one of the beds and just as I take a seat the door opens and Emma walks in, carrying a tray of plastic cups that I'm sure are filled with hot chocolate and a brown paper bag with Granny's Diner written on the side.

"Whoa, Karina, are you ok? Did you have another nightmare?" Emma asks, setting the drinks and food down on the table.

"Yea… Just another nightmare." I try to smile but it feels more like a ghost of a smile than a real one. I look at Henry and he's giving me a confused look, like he can't understand why I would lie to his mom. I silently plead him not to say anything and he seems to get the message because he doesn't say a word.

"Well, maybe the breakfast I brought you guys will cheer you up. Hot cocoa and some sesame bagels… Karina, yours has strawberry cream cheese, like always." She smiles cheerfully. "Look, guys, I'm going to be super busy with my case today… But my friend Leroy, you remember him, right? He's going fishing with some buddies today, do you want to go?"

Henry looks at me and then smiles at his mom. "Yea, we'll go… But only because I love to fish and Karina likes being on the water… Not because we believe you."

Emma's smile drops. "What?"

"You know you're not fooling us, right? Something's up." Henry raises his eyebrows and when Emma looks at me to see if I feel the same way I simply nod my head, still feeling overwhelmed by what I just overheard.

"It's… Because I'm working a case. You guys know how I get focused."

"No, it's more than that. It's this town! All these old friends you never mentioned, people whispering around us all the time." Henry exclaims.

"People openly staring…" I add and Henry nods.

"There's something you're not telling us." Henry finishes.

"It's dirty business being a bail bonds person, I don't want to soil your sweet head." Emma cocks her head to the side and I shake my head.

"Just drop the act Emma. We know you're lying and there's nothing you can say to change our minds." I reply and she stares at me, shocked.

"If you can't tell us the truth than I want to go home, back to New York." Henry pleads. Twenty-four hours ago I would've agreed with him but suddenly I find myself worrying that Emma might actually send us back to New York. Despite the craziness of this town I don't want to go back to New York and be forced back into those therapy sessions. Not when I'm finally coming to terms with the truth.

Emma looks like she's about to say something when her phone rings. "Sorry… Hello?... What? I'll be right there." She hangs up the phone and shoves it back in her pocket. Henry hangs his head as his mother gets up from the chair. "I gotta go, guys."

"Mom, really, what's going on?" Henry tries again.

"You got me, ok? Something is up. And it just got more complicated… So for now can you just trust what I'm doing is for the best and I'll fill you in later?" She asks, doing her best to smile despite the fact that her son just called her out on her lies.

"I trust you…" Henry finally relents, nodding his head.

"Thanks, Henry. I love you." She kisses the top of his head and smiles at me before hurrying from the room.

The moment she's gone Henry turns to me and gives me an expectant look but doesn't say a word. I shake my head and sigh. "Please don't look at me like that."

"Now you're keeping stuff from me?" He asks angrily. "I thought we were in this together. I won't be able to handle it if you lie to me too."

"Henry, I'm not _lying_ , I'm just… Holding back information that I've recently learnt." It sounds lame, I know that and the look on his face confirms that, but I can't think of anything else to say.

"Whatever." He gets up and heads into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him. He doesn't slam it, Henry's way too mature for that (slamming the door is something I'd do), but his brusque attitude and shutting the door without a word hurts just as bad.

I stay sitting on the bed, chewing my bottom lip as I try to think of something to tell Henry. I know I can't tell him anything that I've learnt, not without pushing him into danger, but I'm afraid if I don't say something he'll stay mad.

Sure enough, before I can think of anything to say, Henry leaves the bathroom fully dressed and without a word to me he leaves the room. I slump down onto the bed and rub my temples, feeling a really bad headache coming on.

 **A/N:** Please take a moment to review!


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Seven ~**

" _I'm pleased to announce my new lieutenant as none other than Drake Ryley." I gesture to my friend who seems surprised by the news. "It's the loyalty and friendship that you've provided me with that leads me to give you this position. Because I know that no one else will fulfill the duties of a lieutenant as well as you."_

 _The rest of the crew shout their encouragement and congratulations as Drake nods at the men. The only man who doesn't clap and cry out is Joseph Benson. It wasn't a secret that he wanted the position of lieutenant, but it also wasn't a secret that he only wanted it for the power. Joseph was one of the last men to join my crew and he's never been shy about making it known how much he despises a woman leading. But because my crew is quickly gaining a reputation and he's a man with an ego, he's decided to push past that._

 _I have no doubt that if I made him my lieutenant he would try to murder me and take over my position as captain. As it is, simply by refusing him the role he might try anyways but now that I have a lieutenant that I know I can trust, murdering me will prove much more difficult._

 _As the cheering continues and Drake nods stoically, giving his silent thanks to the other men, I make eye contact with Joseph and see the rage in his eyes. I can see he's getting ready to make a scene and I warn him with my eyes not to, but that only seems to encourage him._

" _This is ridiculous!" Joseph shouts and his words ring out over the waters around us. "First, we follow a female, and now our second-in-command is a man who wasn't even a pirate until a few months ago? Well, I won't have it!"_

" _Stand down." Drake growls, taking a few menacing steps forward. I place my hand on his shoulder, stopping him with a firm shake of my head._

" _Joseph, we both know that you don't like following a woman. But can you deny that you haven't gained everything you wanted and more simply by following my orders? We have the reputation of fearsome pirates, we have the gold, and the money… You have your girls. I don't try to deny the kind of man you really are, in fact I implore you to embrace it." I take a few slow steps towards Joseph until I'm standing before him. He towers over me but I learnt long ago that height doesn't always mean that they're stronger or a better fighter._

" _I could do so much better than you." Joseph seethes, his hands curled into white-knuckled fists. I hear a few of the men who are loyal to Joseph murmuring in the crowd and I know I have to end this fast and remind them exactly why I'm in charge._

 _I have no worries about the loyalty of my men. Even the ones who are also loyal to Joseph. The beauty of pirates is that they will follow the strongest leader. Joseph may think that's him, but I'm about to prove him wrong._

" _Do you now? Why don't you show me?" I throw out my arms and take a few steps back, raising my eyebrows expectantly._

 _Joseph's eyes narrow as he studies me closely. He must not find anything he was looking for because in a moment his expression smooths and he places his hand on the hilt of his sword, drawing it out and letting it shine in the sunlight. He proudly shows it to a few of the men and I can see why many would be in awe of it. It's a long sword, much longer than usual swords, and you can see the sharpness of the blade just by looking at it._

 _I reach down and pull out two of my daggers that had been tucked away safely in my boots. I've always appreciated fighting with daggers over swords. Possibly because I learnt how to fight from the lost boys and they rarely used swords, or maybe it's because I'm small and daggers allow me to get closer. Either way, one thing that is certain is the lost boys taught me how to fight and because of that, I fight dirty._

 _I see a bundle of ropes sitting on the ground, close to my feet and before anyone can process what I'm doing I dig my boot under them and kick them up, launching them at Joseph. The crew starts shouting excitedly as they jump back, giving us room to duel. I can hear Drake cursing and yelling at me, but I barely pay him any attention to process what he's really saying._

 _The ropes hit Joseph and the shock of them knock him back more than the impact. Regardless, it's the reaction I need as I jump after him and raise one of my daggers, slicing it through the air and cutting across his shoulder. He manages to dodge out of the way, missing a perfect stab to the shoulder and only leaving a superficial wound in my dagger's wake. But it was enough to show him and my men that I mean business._

 _Joseph uses his height and weight to his advantage and rushes at me while I'm still recovering from my leap and he knocks me off my feet. I hit the deck with a painful thud that rocks my bones and jars my teeth. Before I can jump up he kicks me in the side and I have to quickly scramble away from him before he can kick me again._

" _Do you really think you can beat me? Little girl!" He taunts as he chases after me. "You're nothing but a child with a very big ego."_

" _Funny, I could say the same thing to you." I reply and then kick a barrel at him. It hits him in the stomach and he curls over for a moment. I use that opportunity to punch him as hard as I can across the face. My hand starts to throb but I ignore the pain as I go in for another hit. Only this time he recovers quickly and grabs my fist and pulls me towards him. Before he can do anything else I knee him where the sun doesn't shine and laugh joyously when he cries out. "I'd have thought you'd learn by now… I like to fight dirty."_

" _So do I." He snarls and then he hits me so hard across the face I'm surprised my jaw didn't break right then and there. I taste blood in my mouth and fall onto my back as I grip my jaw. I refuse to cry out though because then he'll know that he's winning._

 _As Joseph advances on me an idea pops into my head. I've always said that he's a man with an ego and Felix would always tell me that can be used against someone better than any weapon. Taking Felix's words to heart I pretend to lie back and look defeated and I even release a few small whimpers for the extra effect._

" _I won't let you kill her." I hear Drake say as he comes to stand in front of me, blocking Joseph from me. "Even if she died, you wouldn't be the captain, I would, so killing her won't get you anything."_

" _Ever heard of mutiny, my boy?" Joseph taunts. "It's what will happen once she's dead. I have men here who are loyal to me, who want me to be captain. Once she's dead nothing will stand in my way of that. Now, move." Drake unsheathes his sword but before he can do anything Joseph hits him with the butt of his sword, knocking him unconscious. "Now… Where was I?" He stalks towards me with a triumphant grin on his face._

 _I close my eyes and pretend as though I'm accepting defeat. When I feel his boot nudge my leg I jump up with my dagger in my hand and slice my dagger across his face, from one side of his head to the other. He shouts and covers his face, falling backwards. I jump after him and grab him by the hair on his head and bash his head several times into the deck. Then I press the tip of my dagger to his throat._

 _Upon feeling the cold metal of my blade at his throat, Joseph goes completely still. Slowly he takes his hands away from his face to reveal his mangled face and the blood dripping down it. I'm almost disappointed that I didn't seem to get his eyes and therefore he'll be able to maintain his vision. I was aiming to blind him but I must have missed by a few inches._

" _Now…" I say, my voice sounding deceptively calm. "I'm going to give you a chance to pledge your loyalty to me and call off whatever foolishness you have planned. Otherwise I will gut you here and now under the hot sun and watch as the birds feast on your entrails." As I say these words I press my dagger in deeper, drawing blood. "I may be a small girl, and I may look young, but I am older than you by more than one hundred years. I have more experience fighting than you do and I'm the queen of the lost ones. If you don't stand down I will show you and everyone who is loyal to you, exactly what I am capable of."_

 _Joseph stares at me for a very long, tense moment and then slowly he raises his hands in surrender. "You… Have my loyalty… Queen of the Lost and the Damned." Soon the other crew members start to murmur the same thing._

" _Mark my words, if you ever betray me you will find yourself back in this position… Only next time I won't be so forgiving." I press the dagger in just a tad bit deeper to make sure my threat has come across nicely and then I jump to my feet and take several steps back. Joseph doesn't get to his feet and I smirk before walking away. "Someone help Drake." I order and several men rush to his aid._

 _I can tell by the look in their eyes that there wouldn't be another uprising any time soon. I had just proved exactly why they should follow me and what would happen if they chose not to._

…..

I stare blankly at my own reflection as I pin my dark curls up on top of my head. It was only a few hours ago that Emma told me that we would be attending a funeral for a friend of hers. Some guy named Neal. I don't know why my emotions have been so low since she told me about this random stranger's death, but here I am with a dark cloud looming over my head.

With a heavy sigh I move over to the bed and grab the plain black dress, slipping it over my head, careful not to undo the hairstyle I just finished. I step into a pair of black wedge heels and grab my necklace with the large, red jeweled ring hanging on the end of it. I've always worn it thinking it belonged to my father and now I wonder if it really does belong to my father… My father that is supposedly Killian.

I turn the ring over and over in my hands, studying the intricate design. As I study it I realize that the design is far too strange looking to be a modern ring. I close my fist around the small piece of jewelry when a bang at the door causes me to release a high-pitched scream and spin around.

"Relax. It's just me." Emma laughs as she enters the room. "You've been so skittish lately." The humor in her eyes shows me that she obviously means it as a joke but with everything that's been happening I'm sad to realize that she's right.

"Sorry." I mumble as I look back down at the ring.

"Hey… It's ok." Emma replies softly as she slowly walks towards me, her eyes focused on my hands. "Karina… Are you ok?"

I desperately want to ask her about everything: if Killian really is my father and if everything Peter's been telling me is true. But something holds me back. A quiet voice at the back of my head warns me against saying anything to Emma. Instead I give her a tight-lipped smile and say, "Yup, everything's fine."

"Ok… Well, it's time to go to the funeral." She moves towards the door and I put on my necklace, quickly following her out.

…..

The funeral is small with only a handful of people standing around the coffin as it hovers over the large hole that was already dug, supported only by a few green straps and two metal bars. I recognize most of the people around us as all of Emma's sudden "good friends" she's been introducing to Henry and I like mad. There are a few new faces I hadn't seen yet but they openly stared at Henry and I when we first arrived. Of course, Killian is there and I find myself studying him throughout most of the service.

I'm stunned to notice the similarities. We have the same dark hair; his blue eyes are identical to my own. He's a tall man, which doesn't fit my tiny stature but the set of his jawline and shape of his nose make up for that difference.

At one point he looks at me, as if he sensed my staring and we make eye contact. Instead of looking away immediately like I expected myself to, I maintain eye contact for several long moments until suddenly it feels so intense I have no choice but to look away.

Another person who I can't help but study throughout the service is a petite blonde with bright green eyes. Something about her seems so familiar but I can't place my finger on it no matter what I do. At one point when she notices me staring she almost looks panicked for a brief moment before she simply shoots me an awkward grin and then turns back firmly to face the coffin.

Finally, the end of the service comes along and Killian steps forward to shovel dirt onto the coffin. His expression appears haunted and I realize that this man who has died must have meant quite a lot to him. After Killian goes he passes the shovel off to David and once he's done Emma nudges Henry forward who almost appears reluctant as he drags his feet. Nonetheless he dumps a small amount of dirt onto the coffin and then passes the shovel to his mother.

I notice Emma clutching her necklace that she's always worn every single day that I've known her and as she steps forward she tries to put on a brave face. She shovels some dirt and then hovers over the coffin, staring at it for a very long time, her face hard. Finally, she drops the dirt onto the coffin and passes me the shovel.

I stare at the shovel in her outstretched hand, feeling confused. I didn't even know the man and she wants me to shovel dirt onto his coffin? Isn't that supposed to be an extremely special moment reserved only for those who knew and cared for the deceased? But then, I suppose if Henry did it, why shouldn't I? I would hate to refuse and look bad at some dead guy's funeral.

Slowly I reach out for the shovel and quickly do my part of the ceremony before blindly passing it off to the next person. As I go to stand next to Emma again she grabs my hands and squeezes it tightly, giving me a sad but grateful smile.

Shortly after the last person shovels the dirt onto the coffin, it is slowly lowered into the ground. As it makes that final, resounding thud the people around us seem to come alive again as they move back to their cars and whisper quietly amongst themselves. I'm walking back to the cars by myself when Emma appears beside me.

"Hey, thanks for doing that earlier… I know you don't know the guy, but… It meant a lot." Emma finishes lamely and I simply nod my head. I know what she's really thanking me for is not making a scene. "I know you're probably wondering who that guy was… And I already told Henry but I just didn't get the chance to tell you…"

"Who was he?" I ask, my curiosity peaked.

"That… That was Henry's father we just buried." I stop walking and turn to look at her with wide eyes. "Yea, I know… Big bombshell. The reason I'm telling you this is because Neal is also part of the reason as to why I brought us here… He was in a trouble and people wanted to hurt him… So, I came to help."

"But you were too late." I finish for her and she nods sadly. "I'm sorry." I reach out and squeeze her hand and she squeezes back reassuringly.

"I'm just sorry that I wasn't able to save him so that Henry could know his father… Because he was a good man. A hero." Emma starts to tear up and I do something that is very unlike me. I reach towards her and wrap her up in a big hug. I've never been one for the emotional stuff, but I can tell now is not the time for my reservations.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to know him either." I whisper and as I do I feel this strange tug in my stomach. The words sound strange coming out of my mouth and I almost want to take them back. Not because what I'm saying is untrue, but because it sounds wrong. Like I already met him and I just can't remember. Could Neal possibly be one of the many people from my old life that I can't remember?

Emma pulls back suddenly and wipes at her cheeks, nodding stiffly. "Right, of course. Because you never met him, that's right…" Her words sound just as stiff and forced as her movements. She turns to me then smiles tightly, "Come on, we're all going back to Granny's."

She leads me to one of the many cars and in just a few minutes we arrive at Granny's diner. I'm sure that's one of the best things about small towns. It never takes long to arrive anywhere. As everyone piles into the diner I notice Henry looking very upset.

"Hey kid, want to play a game of darts with me?" I say to him as I cock my head towards the colorful board hanging on the wall. He glances at it and looks like he's getting ready to say no but I interrupt him with, "I'll even go easy on you."

I know his competitive streak will rise to my mini challenge and sure enough I see the spark in his eyes. He jumps to his feet and shoots me a small smile, "You're on."

We each grab three darts and right off the bat I throw all three of my darts into the bullseye. I hear a few gasps from some of the people around us and I grin proudly. I've always had insanely good aim and before I didn't know why, but as situations from my past become clearer so do my strange abilities.

"I thought you said you were going to go easy on me!" Henry exclaims incredulously, his mouth hanging open.

I snick and shrug my shoulders. "Ok, starting now! I promise." My own competitiveness couldn't help but show off a little bit. I have to remind myself I'm doing this to cheer up Henry.

"Yea, sure." Henry snorts and then throws his own dart. He doesn't hit the bullseye but he does hit 19, which is almost as good.

"Woo! There you go, kid!" I applaud him and we high five. I'm overjoyed to see Henry's grin getting bigger and bigger the longer we play and we quickly gain an audience.

Henry and I spend a lot of time jokingly insulting each other's skills when Emma walks up, a smile on her face as she looks between us. "Hey guys… Um, Henry… I have a friend here who knew your dad when he was younger… I thought you two might like to talk." She gestures behind her and my gaze follows her until I see Killian standing behind her. He smiles at Henry but then when he looks at me it's as though his smile falters briefly.

"Oh, yea, sure!" Henry looks excited and then looks back at me and our half-finished game. "But, uh…"

"Go, kid." I smile and nod my head towards Killian. I'm glad that us playing darts together not only cheered Henry up after the funeral, but cleared up the awkwardness between us after the last time we talked.

Henry gives me a grateful smile and then he walks off with Killian and his mom. I stare at the darts in my hand when the blonde girl I saw at the funeral approaches me.

"Hi, you're… Karina, right?" She asks, seeming nervous.

"Yea… And you are?" I trail off as I study her familiar appearance. I've racked my brain trying to figure out where I've seen her from but no matter what I do the thought of her always escapes me. I feel as though I should know her very well and yet I don't know where I had met her before.

"Oh, um, my name probably sounds kind of stupid to you, but my name is Tinkerbell… Or, I guess, Tink, for short." She scrunches her nose up a bit and lets out a forced laugh.

I feel my jaw drop before I can help my reaction. Peter had said that Tinkerbell is in this town and that I could meet her whenever I wanted. Well, here she is. The fairy named Tinkerbell who is… A lot taller than she was in the movies. And she can speak… I wonder if she has an obvious crush on Peter too…

Tinkerbell seems to notice my shock as her eyes dart around the room nervously and she starts to back away. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have approached you like I did…"

I reach forward and grab her wrist with an iron tight grip. "Why would you say that?" I look deep into her sea green eyes and watch for every hint of a reaction.

"I-It's a funeral. I just wanted to introduce myself since I heard so much about you. But I can see now that it isn't the time." She tries to pull from my grasp and shoots me a surprised look when I don't let go.

But then I see Drake walking by outside and I look between the two as I curse myself over and over again. I need to decide who I want to talk to the most. If I let Tinkerbell go now she may hide from me until I get my memories back… If I get them back. But Drake could hold information that is crucial to keep me alive.

Cursing aloud I realize that Tinkerbell will have to wait. I need to get answers from Drake now.

I let her go and race outside after Drake. "Hey! You!" I shout angrily. He stops and barely looks over his shoulder before realizing who yelled at him and rolls his eyes.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone." He calls back to me as I scurry after him, cursing myself for wearing heels to the funeral.

"Yea, but that was when I didn't entirely know who you were! But now I do. So you can stop running away like a chicken and come back here to talk to me!" Drake doesn't look back as he continues to storm away from me. "Drake!" I shout again, stopping in my tracks. "I need your help. I may not have all my memories back yet but I will be getting them back soon… I hope. You're the only one who was by my side when I was a pirate. I know you were loyal to me… If you don't help me now, I'll die. Joseph is trying to kill me."

My words seem to work because Drake stops trying to escape me and slowly turns to face me. "What makes you so sure I can help you?"

"Because… So far you are the only one in this town who hasn't lied to me. Even Emma's been lying to me. I need someone who knew me before I lost my memories and someone who I can trust. You're the only person." He looks torn until I whisper, "Please, Drake. I am asking you this as a friend, not a captain with forgotten memories."

"Damn it." He scowls. "What do you need me to do?"

"Tell me everything."

…..

Drake leads me to the docks as he explains every minute detail that he can remember. He starts by explaining everything he knows about my life before we met and then goes on to explain my life as a pirate. Finally, he ends it by explaining the first curse Regina cast and how Peter cast the second one which I supposedly helped with that caused Regina to give me new memories.

"I lost you after the first curse, our entire crew was scattered, some of the men drowned before the curse hit, but many of them were swept away by it. But it wasn't until the wicked witch cast this new curse that brought us all back here that Joseph started planning your demise. The men were afraid and troubled… We've been constantly thrown around with each new curse, always scrambling to pick up the pieces. It wasn't hard for Joseph to work the rest of the men up into a frenzy. And with you not around… They had no choice but to follow him."

"Are any of them still loyal to me?" I ask, shaking my head.

"Yes, I think so. I'm the only one who isn't afraid of Joseph, and who's loyalty to you runs deeper than my fear. That's why I never joined him." Drake shrugs his shoulders like his words don't mean much, but I find my eyes swelling up with tears.

I place my hand on his shoulder and squeeze it reassuringly. "Thank you, friend."

"How do you plan to get your memories back? As long as you're without them, you are weaker than Joseph." Drake looks at me and I can see the true fear and worry in his eyes. "How did you even get this far on your own? Is someone helping you get your memories back?

"I know and well, it's a long story... But don't worry about me getting my memories back. I have a plan for that… Maybe."

"It's too bad Pan isn't still alive…" Drake mutters. I turn my head sharply to look at him. _That's why Peter didn't want anyone to know he's around… Because he's supposed to be dead. And if he cast that curse than that would explain why the people in this town don't like him. But how is he alive if he's supposedly dead?_ Drake seems to notice my confusion and takes it for something else as he says, "If he was still alive maybe true love's kiss could work. They say that it can break any curse. I never saw you two together, but the way you always talked about him… And the way you looked when you talked about him. In your own messed up way, I could tell it was love. No matter how many times you tried to convince me that he was a monster."

"Oh my God… Drake. You're a genius!" I exclaim.

"Um, thank you? Why am I genius?" Drake asks as I jump to my feet and race down the dock. "Wait, Karina!" I ignore him as I race to the most secluded part of the docks. Nothing is around me but empty boats, rocking in the water. For a brief moment I worry about Joseph but then I remember Peter telling me he'll always be around even if I can't see him.

"Peter! Show yourself. I need to talk to you." I call out as loudly as I dare. There may not be anyone around but I don't want to attract anyone's attention either.

"Karina, this better be good… As much as I love seeing your beautiful face, I am a bit busy trying to break the curse…" Peter appears behind me and I spin to look at him.

"Kiss me." I blurt out.

Peter stops and his eyes go wide with surprise for a moment until he starts to grin arrogantly. "Well, well… I knew you'd want me sooner or later."

"Oh, shut up. This isn't about 'wanting you'… True love's kiss. Does it ring any bells?" I speak so quickly I'm almost worried that he won't hear me correctly.

But then the transformation on his face going from arrogant, to confusion and then finally to understanding. His sets his jaw and then strides towards me and grabs my face in his hands. We stare at one another and then he crashes his lips to mine and everything goes dark.

 **A/N:** I know, I know… Before anyone pulls out a pitchfork or a torch, let me apologize for being terrible and not updating until now. I try to do it on a weekly basis, but I've been so busy working and moving and I just didn't have time to write. Trust me, I feel awful and I offer this chapter as a sheepish apology. I'll try to be better!

In other news, Karina is finally going to get her memories back! I know, I went the corny way and made them true love… But hey, why don't they get to be true love? They may be messed up and monsters in their own ways, but they deserve love! Originally, I was going to wait a few more chapters, but I found I can't bring myself to wait any longer and I'm sure many of you don't want to wait much longer either.

Please take a moment to review!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 ***Note: This chapter contains scenes that prove why I rated this story M.***

 **~ Chapter Eight ~**

I wake up with a sharp, heaving gasp. My eyes snap open to view the clear blue sky above me, barely any clouds in sight. I can feel the heat from the sun beating down on me and for the first time in a very long time I relish in the feel of the sun on my face. Suddenly, the world seems so much brighter. It's difficult to explain but it's as though I had been living in a thick fog that's just now being cleared.

I slowly push myself up and rub my temples. All my memories had come rushing back at once, jamming their way into my mind and reminding me exactly who I am and where I come from. Now my real memories and the fake ones Regina gave me are swirling around in my head, only now I'm able to distinguish which ones are real and which are not.

Getting to my feet I wobble like a newborn calf as my whole word spins around me. Gaining all my memories back so abruptly has left me feeling disoriented as I slowly peer around the marina, blinking rapidly.

I hear a sharp intake of breath behind me and I spin quickly to face the sound, my eyes widening with shock. Standing before me is none other than Peter Pan himself.

My eyes scan his long, lean build and chestnut coloured hair; his high cheekbones and red lips all match my memory perfectly. His sharp green eyes always full of mischief now hold only a hint of it as clear interest dominants his features. He's even wearing the same green clothing with the dagger that he never used strapped to his waist.

He looks the exact same and I love it.

"Peter?" I say aloud and then immediately clap my hand over my mouth. His name seems to sound so different now that I have my memories back and know exactly how much he means to me. His name holds a certain kind of weight that I simply didn't understand when I had no memories.

"Please tell me it worked." He replies and as if I had any doubt, his voice sounds the same too.

A small whimper escapes my throat as tears well up in my eyes. "It worked." I gasp and then launch myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face into his chest. "Oh my God, it worked! I remember you! Every piece of you… Of us…" I lean back and trace my fingers down his jawline.

He catches my hand and holds onto it tightly as we stare at one another. The way he looks at me is like he can't believe that his kiss worked; that it broke the curse placed on me. It's as if he doubted we're true love, though I can't say I really blame him. Our love is far from Prince Charming and Snow White level but it's a different kind of love that is clearly just as strong.

"How are you alive?" I ask and then pull away and smack his shoulder. "You better not have faked your death, Peter Pan, or so help me!" I start to imagine places I can hide his body if that's the case.

"Ow! Your therapist is right, you _are_ bipolar." Peter grumbles as he rubs his shoulder. "I did not fake my death, believe me. I wouldn't have let them curse you like they did if that was the case."

"Mhm." Feeling unconvinced I cross my arms over my chest and give him a pointed look.

Peter rolls his eyes and suddenly cups his hand around my neck and drags my face close to his. His lips touch mine and I forget any doubts I had or any anger I was holding onto. I melt into his arms, relishing in every piece of him.

As our kiss gets more heated I push Peter back into a tree and rip open his shirt, shoving it off his shoulders. Our eyes meet and I can see the wild excitement in his gaze that I know must be reflecting in mine. I place my hands on his bare chest and explore the contours of his body. Then I place a kiss on his neck, nipping and licking at the skin there. I hear Peter hiss as he knots his fingers in my hair and tugs roughly on the roots.

My answering moan to his actions causes Peter to grab the hem of my dress and pull it over my body, carelessly tossing it aside. I stand before him in my bra and underwear as he wraps his arm around my waist and lifts me up. I curl my legs around him as he swings us around and pushes me up against the tree.

I can feel the rough bark of the tree pressing into my back but it only adds to the pleasure. Peter rips off my bra and peppers my breasts with kisses, paying equal amounts of attention to each breast. My moans become louder and louder as my body is assaulted with feelings it hasn't experienced in a year.

Even when I dated Zach I could never bring myself to do anything more with him than kiss him, despite his constant pleading. Something about it always felt wrong and now that my memories are back and I'm being ravished by Peter I know why I always refused.

Getting impatient I put my fingers under Peter's chin and drag his lips back to mine. "I need you. Now." I say against his lips. I hear the tearing of fabric and next thing I know Peter is tossing the lacy black underwear to the ground.

With some interesting maneuvering Peter manages to lower his pants and he grins at me as I reach down and grab his member, running my finger over the sensitive tip. Then I line it up with my entrance and let go just as Peter pushes himself into me as deep as he can go. I release a low moan and throw my head back, knocking it against the tree. My head throbs but I barely notice it as Peter pulls out again, slowly, and then pushes back in with a powerful thrust.

I dig my nails into his bare back as hard as I can, relishing in the sound of him hissing. Blood starts to trail down his back as Peter brings his mouth to my neck and starts to bite and suck on the skin while still maintaining his agonizingly slow thrusting.

"Faster, Peter." I whimper. He chuckles against my neck but obeys my command as he starts to thrust in and out at an animalistic pace. Our bodies move together as one, as if no time has passed between us at all. I briefly wonder if the bark cutting into my back is drawing blood but that thought is quickly destroyed as I feel myself getting closer to the edge.

Peter must be almost there too because with a final shove he launches both of us over the edge and I cry out as he buries his face into my neck again. Then Peter wraps his arms around me and falls back, bringing me with him as we land on the ground. I curl up onto his chest and smile at him as he wipes hair out of my face.

"God, I missed that." I groan as Peter starts to run his fingers through my hair. "Mm, I missed this too." The feeling of Peter running his fingers methodically through my hair feels so comforting I wish we could stay like this forever and hide away from the rest of the world.

"You have no idea how hard it was for me to behave like a gentleman the last few days." Peter chuckles. "The longer I spent with you the more I wanted to throw you down and have my way with you… But I had a feeling that might freak you out."

"You'd be surprised." I reply, and a look of surprise flashes over his face before being replaced by a mischievous grin.

Peter places his arm behind his head so he can prop up his head to watch me closely. "Now I suppose you want to know how I'm alive."

"I want the whole story." I nod my head with wide eyes.

"Well, I really did die a year ago. My brother killed us both when he stabbed us with his dagger. He knew that the only way to kill me was to bind us together and then kill himself with his own dagger. But what that fool failed to realize was that it would bind us together even in death. So when his equally stupid son and girlfriend revived him it also brought me back… Though I'm sure they had no idea." Peter rolls his eyes, completely ignoring my open-mouthed shock.

"Wait… So you and the crocodile are bound?" I clarify, accidentally using the name my father began calling the Dark One.

"Unfortunately." Peter grimaces. "And I know how to unbind us but Rumplestiltskin is in a bit of a… Different kind of bind. And I sort of need him to do it."

"How are you going to do that?" I ask skeptically. I know very little about magic but I have a feeling that undoing something like that can't be easy.

"With very complicated dark magic that I need the Dark One's help with." Peter sighs heavily. "But like I said, I doubt he even knows I'm alive. He's not in his right mind, right now. Once he gets his senses back I'm sure he'll sense me. However, I do know the villain of the week knows I'm alive, that irritating crew member of yours mentioned she wanted to let me live… Though I'm sure she wants to manipulate me and control me like she's doing to my brother."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is going on in this town? I am so lost!" I shake my head and pinch the bridge of my nose. I can feel a very nasty headache coming on with all this new information. "Ok, let's start with Baelfire and Belle bringing the Dark One back to life. How did they bring him back to life?! Neither of them are exactly powerful sorcerers."

"They didn't need to be. They went to the place where the first Dark One was created and brought him back with some magical key… Only Baelfire didn't survive the resurrection of the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin tried to save his son by absorbing his body into his own, but it only drove him mad and he had no choice but to separate from him. Baelfire died instantly… But not before he got to reunite with Emma." Peter flashes me a knowing look as realization dawns on my face.

"Oh _God_. It was Bae's funeral I just attended!" Tears well up in my eyes as I realize I just buried a very good friend of mine without even realizing it. Then I came and had sex with the man he always hated in the same day! Horror fills me as I begin to weep. Peter tries to comfort me by wiping my tears away but he's never been very good with any other emotions than anger, mischief and lust.

All I can think about is how I am never going to see Baelfire again, even though he promised me that we would. He was one of my closest friends and I didn't even get to properly say goodbye because I couldn't even remember who he was! Now he's dead and it's too late.

I cry until an annoying voice starts to nag at the back of my mind that I need to get the rest of the information from Peter. The sooner I know everything the safer I'll be. The longer I stay in the dark like I am now the more danger I put myself in. There will be plenty of time to mourn Bae later.

"Who's this new villain you keep talking about and why does she want to control you too?" I ask, wiping at my cheeks.

Peter looks relieved that I've stopped crying as he says, "Well, she's the Wicked Witch of the West, of course."

"Of course." I mutter sarcastically. "Has anyone dropped a house on her yet?"

"Wrong witch." Peter smirks. "That was her sister."

"Oh, whatever." I grumble. "Why does she want to control you?"

"Because she knows I'm stronger than my brother. Always have been and now I'm probably even more so now that I don't have that pesky mortal issue I had before." Peter rolls his eyes like the whole idea annoys him.

"Wait, what?"

"Yup." Peter grins proudly. "I'm back, new and improved. My magic is back to its full strength now that I'm not devoting most of it to keeping me alive. I'm truly immortal again."

"So you're not going to go after Henry anymore, right? Or try to start another curse?" I eye him skeptically, almost expecting him to burst into evil, maniacal laughter.

"No." Peter snorts. He couldn't look any more uninterested in those plans than he already does. "I just want to get you, collect the lost boys and go home."

I picture Neverland and I'm surprised to find myself filled with longing. I wouldn't mind going home to Neverland either.

"How do you know all this? Does everyone else know that they're facing off against the Wicked Witch?" Peter is a villain who hates the heroes of Storybrooke with a passion. It wouldn't surprise me if he had made some kind of deal with the Wicked Witch just to save our butts.

"I'm observant… And Zelena came to see me to offer me a deal. Of course, I turned her down. Like I said, she just wants to control me like she controls my brother. She may pretend she wants an alliance but I've known about the Wicked Witch for a very long time. She doesn't have allies… Other than her freakish flying monkeys, which she controls. As for the others, if they haven't figured it out yet who they are dealing with than they are dumber than I thought…"

"And my crew are loyal to her now?"

"Only because they want to kill you… And she promised them your head. You're a villain, you know how fickle they can be." Peter snorts and grabs my wrist before I can slap him, glaring pointedly at me.

"I'm not fickle" I grumble, more to myself than to him.

"Maybe you're not, but they've proven that they are. They easily sided with Joseph once they realized you weren't coming back for them any time soon." Peter's expression grows dark and I know it's because he hates disloyalty. I should know better than anyone the consequences that await you if you turn your back on him.

"So, now what are we going to do? I got my memories back, what's our next move?" I ask curiously.

"You put your men in their place, kill Joseph and then we find the lost boys and go back to Neverland." Peter replies matter-of-factly.

" _After_ we help the others with the Wicked Witch, right?" I'm sure I already know his answer but I'm determined to stand strong on this.

"Karina, they can't know I'm alive. I can guarantee you that if they find out I'm alive they'll stop at nothing to try and kill me. They'll think I'm still a threat to Henry." Peter replies seriously.

"I'll tell them that you're not! Besides, didn't you say that Rumplestiltskin will sense you once he stops being super insane?"

"He'll only be able to sense me when we're in the same world. Once we go to Neverland neither of us will be able to sense the other." Peter says, looking very annoyed with me for arguing.

"Yea, but you two will still be bound. What if someone kills him? You could die too. You said you wanted to get his help to unbind you two!" I can feel my own annoyance growing the longer we argue.

"My brother and I will be able to come to an understanding. He won't rat me out. Believe me." Peter replies.

"Peter, I can't go with you to Neverland as long as I think the people I care about are in danger! Henry still doesn't have his memories. Besides, don't you think they'll get suspicious when I suddenly show up with all my memories again?" I sit up, and Peter also sits up. Now we're both glaring at each other with obvious anger and frustration.

"You won't tell them you have your memories again." Peter growls. "You have to pretend you're still in the dark about everything. Otherwise they could follow it back to me and discover I'm still alive! If they try to come after me, I will kill them all, Karina."

"Oh, yes, because I'm sure if I show up with all my memories their first thought will be 'oh yes, Karina and Pan must've fucked and now she's got all her memories back!' Get over yourself, Peter." I jump to my feet and storm over to my dress. I pull it on and snatch my now torn underwear off the ground.

"Karina." Peter gets to his feet and I noticed he already tugged on his pants. "You won't tell them anything. You'll be just as clueless as you were before."

"It's so nice to see that you haven't changed in the year. Still like to throw your weight around and pretend your boss. Well, guess what? This isn't Neverland! And you're no longer the king." I turn and intend to storm away when suddenly Peter appears beside me and grabs my arm in a rough grip, dragging me towards him.

His eyes flash dangerously as he lowers his lips to my ear. "Don't you dare screw this up."

I'm about to open my mouth and tell him it's already ruined. I'm sure Drake knows Peter is alive by now. Drake isn't an idiot. He would've put his words and my reaction together and quickly realized what's going on. But I can see the dangerous look in Peter's eyes and I know if I tell him that now Drake will very likely end up dead.

In fact, if I don't do as Peter says everyone I care about will end up dead. I may be immune to Peter's wrath because of his love for me but my loved ones aren't as lucky.

"Fine. I won't 'screw it up'." I snarl and then jerk my arm out of his grasp, storming away without looking back.

….

I had just gotten back to the inn and changed into some jeans and a t-shirt when Henry walks in. "Hey, Karina, I just came back to get a warmer sweater… I'm hanging out with Killian down by the docks. He wants to teach me how to use a sextant while he tells me things about my dad that only makes him seem even more unrealistic… Do you want to come?"

I can't help but laugh as I think of my father trying to teach Henry to use a sextant. Poor Henry probably has no idea what's going on and my poor father probably doesn't realize how weird he's being.

"Wow, that sounds thrilling." I reply sarcastically.

"Oh, it is." Henry reassures me with equal sarcasm in his tone. "So, do you want to come join in on all the thrills this town has to offer?"

I'm about to say yes, suddenly feeling very eager to actually _see_ my father again but I'm worried that I won't be able to control my reaction. If my father catches on that I have my memories back he could end up dead.

With that knowledge weighing heavily on me I say, "Actually, kid, I think this might be time best spent with just Killian. He's telling you stuff about _your_ dad. You should embrace the time you've got."

"Oh, ok. Sure, no problem." Henry replies and gives me a weird look. I realize that my words must sound strange to a teenage boy who has no memories of his past life or how important these stories of his dad would be to him later once he gets his memories back.

We say our goodbyes and then Henry leaves to head back down to the docks. Henry's mention of his father brings back my sadness over Baelfire's death and the moment I am alone again I curl up onto my bed and start to cry. Gut-wrenching sobs wrack my body as I hide my face in my pillow to try and muffle the sound.

If Granny is working downstairs in the diner and she hears me crying she might come and investigate. While I could easily pass off my tears as being homesick, I'm not sure I want anyone to see me in such a vulnerable position. Even someone who I love as much as Granny.

I continue to cry for what feels like hours, my thoughts focused solely on Baelfire and how I never even got to give him a proper goodbye. I know his death and the fact that I never said goodbye will haunt me forever.

Finally, my sobs turn into soft whimpers and my face dries from all the tears. I wait a solid thirty minutes before I dare to look at myself in the mirror. My face still looks red and blotchy from crying but my eyes at least look fine.

I quickly brush my hair and then splash cold water on my face. I decide that I should go find Drake to see if my suspicions are right that he knows I've got my memories back. If anything, talking to Drake will get my mind off Baelfire.

I practice fake smiling in the mirror for a few minutes until I believe my own lie before I hunt down my jacket and room key.

I leave the inn, expecting to embark on a long search to find him. Instead he's sitting in the diner, eating some of Granny's special lasagna. I walk in and our eyes meet instantly. I feel the corner of my mouth turn up in a small, mischievous grin as I slightly cock my head to the door and walk out.

I head down the street until I find a bus bench and sit down on it to wait. I don't know why this town has bus stops since there has never been a bus that has passed through this town once in the thirty years it's been around. At least for now it's offering me a place to sit as I wait for Drake to arrive.

I wait just long enough for Drake's departure from the diner not to rise any suspicions. Sure enough, I see him round the corner and I stand up to greet him. "You're back." He announces once we're standing less than a foot away from each other. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in for a large bear hug.

"How'd you know?" I grin as we pull away.

"Well, for starters, you weren't very discreet when I mentioned Peter and then said true love's kiss… But you also walk differently now that you have your memories again… You walk like _you_." Drake shakes his head and smiles at me.

"What do you mean?" I laugh.

"I don't know… When you were without your memories you walked like a scared little girl, who was probably afraid of her own shadow. Now you walk like you're a badass pirate captain who's proud and in charge." Drake chuckles at his own words and I can't help but laugh louder this time.

"Oh, good to know. I'll tone down my 'badass walk' so the others don't catch on." I reply sarcastically.

"What do you mean?" The amusement has left Drake's face as now he only looks confused.

I sigh heavily. "I've been ordered not to let the others know that I've got my memories back or everyone will end up dead."

"He said that?" Drake doesn't need to say his name. We both know who I'm talking about.

"Not in so many words, but the threat was clear." I roll my eyes, feeling very tired. I don't understand how Peter and I could've gone from so blissfully happy to being exactly how we were before the curse hit in such a short period of time. "Technically you shouldn't know either, but I never mentioned you to him. It's too late anyways. You knew before I even knew!"

Drake rubs the back of his neck. "Well, he's not stalking you and plotting my death as we speak, right?"

"Mm, probably not. I made him angry enough he probably needs time to cool off. Besides, I doubt he's worried about Joseph getting the drop on me now that I have my memories back." I shrug my shoulders.

Drake starts to laugh so hard he can barely say, "How is it that you've only had your memories back for a few hours and you've already managed to push Peter Pan's buttons to the point that he needs to 'get away and cool off'?"

"It's a gift." I smile impishly as Drake continues to laugh.

I remember the reason why I originally wanted to seek Drake out so I interrupt his laughter to say, "The Wicked Witch tried to turn you against me, didn't she?"

Upon hearing my serious tone, Drake immediately stops laughing. "Yes, she did."

"But you stayed loyal to me… Even when the others joined her." I whisper, feeling awed and blessed by my friend's loyalty.

"Of course." Drake replies, seeming concerned that I might even think he wouldn't. "I made a vow to you that I would always protect and serve you. I don't ever intend to break that promise."

"Thank you, my friend." I whisper as I grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. "I need to ask you a favour… I need you to help me find someone. I'm afraid that Peter isn't as concerned about his whereabouts as I am… His name is Felix."

 **A/N:** This chapter was actually a lot harder to write than I thought it would be. I wanted to get Karina and Peter's reunion perfect, and even then I'm still not perfectly satisfied with this result. I must've written the first half of this chapter differently at least ten times.

In other news, I must say that I am blown away with the huge response I got for the last chapter. Thank you all so much! I can't even begin to explain how much I appreciate all of your support. Keep it coming!

Please take a moment to review!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Nine ~**

"Felix? Peter's right-hand man?" Drake asks, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. "I haven't heard anything of him since before Pan's curse hit… Though, considering a year of my life is missing that isn't exactly strange."

"Exactly. Anything could have happened to him in that year. I need to find him and make sure he's ok." I wrap my arms around myself and watch as Drake contemplates my words.

"Yea, but won't Pan go looking for him? From what I've heard Felix is as loyal to him as I am to you." Drake wonders aloud.

"If he does, who knows when he'll go looking. Felix could be in trouble right now." I shake my head miserably as I imagine my dear friend being tortured… Or worse.

"But not everyone who was here before came back with the curse. Your father, for example, was one of the people who didn't come back with the rest of us. I've heard him talking in town, he has all his memories of the last year because he split off from everyone shortly after arriving back in the Enchanted Forest. There's a very good chance Felix did the same." Drake shrugs his shoulders and I can tell by the look on his face he's worried about breaking the truth to me.

"No… I know Felix. He would've stuck around."

"How do you know that?" Once again, confusion crosses Drake's handsome features.

"Because I made him promise that he wouldn't seek any kind of revenge after Peter's death… He promised me that he wouldn't. But I know him well enough to know that he wouldn't have kept that promise. He was too loyal to Peter. Most likely he would've stayed near Regina and the others to plot his revenge. He has to be here." As I say the words out loud the more it makes sense. Felix would've promised to stay out of trouble simply to give me peace of mind in case I ever got my memories back and he wasn't around. But he didn't count on me knowing him well enough to guess his true motives.

"It makes sense… I would do the same if it was you." Drake strokes his shortly trimmed beard thoughtfully. "Where do we start looking?"

"I don't know." I sigh exasperatedly. "He could be anywhere in this town."

"You don't know him well enough to guess his current whereabouts?" Drake teases, a mischievous light in his dark eyes.

I shoot him a perturbed look. "I guess not." I reply dryly.

"Well, since you're trying to keep a low profile, I'll snoop around and see what I can find. You go back and play dumb."

"Oh, joy." I mutter sarcastically and Drake flashes me a sympathetic smile.

"It won't be much longer, captain, I'm sure." Drake pats my shoulder and then turns and jogs away. I watch him go, waiting until he disappears into the distance before I turn and head back to Granny's.

By now it's gotten dark outside and while the diner is full of hungry occupants waiting for their food I find I'm suddenly exhausted. It's been a very long, emotional day and I'm ready to sleep for twelve hours straight and then start sleuthing tomorrow.

As I walk up the stairs to the inn I'm dragging my feet and they make loud thudding noises. Once I get closer to the top and hear voices I instantly regret making so much noise. I can hear Emma and my father talking. Briefly they mention Henry's name and then my own. But then when they realize someone's coming they immediately stop talking.

I round the corner and for the first time since the curse over me broke I see Emma and my father. A wide range of emotions course through me: surprise, happiness, sadness, regret, anger and most powerful of all, betrayal.

I want to say I'm surprised by the rush of betrayal and anger that comes rushing back to me upon seeing Emma and my father again, but I'm really not. The last I saw of them, Peter was recently killed by his own brother and I was certain they had a hand in it. Maybe they didn't plunge the dagger into his heart, but they knew it was going to happen.

Now that I'm not blinded by my pain I can understand that they probably had no idea of Gold's intentions. But that doesn't excuse the fact that they had their own plan ready to kill Peter, that I'm sure of. They would've deemed Peter too dangerous to allow him to live. Even being the "heroes" that they say they are, that wouldn't have given them enough reason to spare his life.

Unfortunately, before I got to process Peter's death any more, the curse was quickly approaching and my memories were taken from me. But now that they're back and I'm looking at two people who plotted against the person I love the most despite everything I did for them… All those earlier feelings of anger and betrayal have come rushing back.

I guess the people who say: "time heals all wounds" are wrong.

"Karina." Emma seems surprised to see me. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." I snap before I can reign in my anger. I immediately curse myself. _Peter thinks I'm somehow going to keep the others from discovering I got my memories back? I'm already screwing up and it hasn't even been two minutes yet!_

Emma and my father share a worried look and I know I must do some damage control, quickly. "I mean… I'm doing ok. Just really tired… And, um, I'm having boyfriend troubles." _Not exactly a lie…_

"Oh no, what did Zach do now?" Emma's lips curve up into a small, playful smile. Internally I wince as I think of Zach. He still hasn't called me even though Nova said he would be… Though perhaps that's for the best.

"Oh, you know… Just being a typical guy." I try to laugh it off but my laugh sounds incredibly nervous and high pitched. I know I have to make my escape as quickly as I can. Even if they don't immediately figure out that I have my memories back, I could be leaving small breadcrumbs for them to slowly figure it out.

"Aye, we men can be a bit hard headed." My father winks at me and I flash him a pursed lipped smile.

"Well, love to stay and chat but I'm so tired!" To prove my point, I stretch out my arms and release a huge, dramatic yawn. "It's been a pretty long day, what with arguing with my boyfriend and all…" Emma and my father are back to staring at me in confusion. I make a hasty exit, pushing my way past them through the door and into our room. "Night!" I call cheerfully with a wave and then slam the door in their faces.

I press my back against the wall and release a heavy exhale of air. If I keep acting like I just did in the hallway they'll have me figured out in hours.

"Hey Karina."

"Ah!" I shout and turn to see Henry standing to my right, an amused grin on his young face. I place my hand over my heart in an effort to calm its racing.

"You sure have gotten jumpy lately." Henry teases me as he moves to sit on the couch facing the small TV in the room.

"Tell me about it." I mutter more to myself than to him as I go and join him on the couch. I curl my knees up to my chest and watch as he flips aimlessly through the few channels this inn offers. I feel like I haven't spoken to him in forever so I decide to strike up a conversation instead of going straight to bed like I originally planned. "So how was your day?"

"It was… Weird." Henry makes a face. "That Killian guy really is an odd ball."

I feel the corners of my lips tug up into a small, amused smile. _That's one way to put it…_

"How was your day?" Henry asks me after a few minutes of silence.

I think back to everything that's happened today and grimace. I regret fighting with Peter so soon after finding him again. But I couldn't help it. Peter and I are so alike yet so different that it's impossible for us to go long without fighting. We clash too often though I suppose that is also a huge reason why I love him. No one challenges me like he does and no one gets my blood boiling like him but also gets my heart racing at the same time. My life would surely be boring without him.

"My day was… Interesting." I reply, taking on a similar tone to Henry's earlier statement. I nudge Henry's arm as I say, "This town is full of odd balls." Henry looks like he's about to say something when my huge yawn interrupts him. He raises an eyebrow and laughs. "Sorry." I say sheepishly.

"Tired, Karina?" Henry chuckles.

"Very." I lean my head on Henry's shoulder as he turns on some lame game show. I try to focus on the show but my eyelids droop quickly and before I know it I'm being whisked away into a dreamless sleep.

…..

I wake up to the sound of AC/DC's _Back in Black_ blaring near my ear. My eyes snap open and I realize I fell asleep on the couch last night. I guess Emma decided it was better to let me sleep rather than risk waking me as I can see a blanket has been placed over me.

I wrestle with the blanket to free my hands but end up falling off the couch with a loud thud. "Ow!" I shout and then reach for my phone, which is sitting on the coffee table. I don't even check to see who's calling me as I slide the bar to answer and press the phone to my ear. "Hello?" I rub the back of my neck, which is now stiff due to sleeping on the couch all night.

"Karina." I hear a heavy exhale of relief on the other end. Immediately my blood goes cold as I realize who I'm speaking to.

"Zach…"

"I am so glad you answered. Nova told me you said you'd answer… But I was worried. I'm not sure I could take another rejection from you." His voice sounds thick with emotion and I lean against the couch, feeling uncomfortable.

"Look, Zach, now really isn't the time to do this." I mumble, picking at the blanket that is still wrapped rather firmly around my torso and legs.

"Karina, I'm _so_ sorry. I was drinking and didn't realize what I was saying! I never meant for you to feel like I think you're crazy." Zach's apology seems sincere but I still shift uncomfortably.

Truthfully, I've already forgotten all about why I was angry at Zach in the first place. Since getting my memories back the past year of my life has been pushed to the backburner of my mind. As much as I care for my friends back in New York, my friends here in Storybrooke need my attention more.

Now as I listen to Zach apologize over and over again I want to tell him to stop talking because he's only making me feel more awkward. Zach may have been a boyfriend I chose when I didn't have my memories but I'm not that girl anymore and I never will be again. Feeling sick to my stomach I know I have to tell him it's over.

"Zach…" I interrupt whatever apology he's in the middle of making. "I accept your apology…" He interrupts me to express his gratitude when I cut him off again. "But we can't be together anymore. I… I don't think I'll be coming back to New York again and I don't want a long-distance relationship. I'm sorry."

Before I can hear his response I hang up the phone and clutch it tightly to my chest. Do I feel bad for breaking up with him? Of course, but not because I have feelings for him. Even when I didn't have my memories I only really thought of him as a friend. Our relationship was doomed from the start, whether I got my memories back or not. I feel bad because Zach really is a sweet guy and I probably just broke his heart. He doesn't deserve it and I hope he can move on from my quickly with a girl that will actually care about him as more than a friend.

"Well, I'm glad you finally ended things with him." A voice says behind me, startling me.

"Ah!" I scream and jerk forward as I launch my phone at the voice. Peter grabs my phone and shoots me an annoyed look. "PETER! What the hell? Don't you know not to sneak up on a lady?"

"You're not a lady." Peter snorts, but I can see the teasing glint in his eyes. Regardless of his obvious joke I pick up the TV remote and throw that at him too. Of course, he catches the remote with ease as well. He walks over to me and places the remote and my phone back on the coffee table.

For the first time since I've woken up I realize I have no idea if Henry or Emma are here. Panic consumes me as I look around, searching for a familiar face. When I don't see either of them I turn back to Peter, "Are they here?"

"No." Peter replies easily. "I wouldn't be here if they were."

"Oh, ok… Then what do you want?" I narrow my eyes suspiciously.

"I just came to make sure you've been keeping your mouth shut." Peter replies easily as he inspects the dagger that he never uses but always keeps strapped to his waist.

I roll my eyes and say, "If I hadn't don't you think you would know by now?" As much as I don't want to admit it, I know that Peter was right about Emma and the others going after him when they find out he's alive. I want to think they'll leave him alone if I tell them he's no longer a threat… But, in all honesty, Emma is too stubborn to listen.

Peter tilts his head to the side and studies me as he contemplates my words. Whatever he sees must convince him that I'm telling the truth because he shrugs his shoulders and then leans back against the couch.

I study him as he twirls his dagger over and over in his hands. I'm tempted to ask him about Felix but instead I say, "When are you going to look for the other lost boys?"

"Well, those who didn't betray me and side with the heroes are still in Neverland. The ones who did betray me, however, are scattered between here and the Enchanted Forest. I plan to track them down and kill every single one of them." Peter grins maliciously, which causes my insides to tighten.

"Peter… They're just boys. Most of them didn't know what they were getting into when they agreed to leave. You can't kill them." I say this carefully as I don't want to get into another fight. I'm mature enough to admit I was wrong about our fight yesterday, but I'm not about to apologize or start another argument.

"And why not?" Peter turns his dark green eyes to stare at me. "You know what the punishment was for traitors back in Neverland. They all knew that as well. This won't be a surprise. If they were smart they would be running and hiding by now."

"They thought you were already dead! The heroes were coming for you." _And I was helping them. Of course, the lost boys left with the heroes. They were worried what would happen afterwards if they succeeded in killing Peter…_

"And you were helping them…" It's like he read my mind. His smile is small but dangerous as he holds my gaze.

"That was in the past." I mutter and look away from his intense stare. "Back when I thought they would leave you alone once they saved Henry… But, then again, you didn't have to keep pestering them." I raise an eyebrow, challenging him.

He mimics my expression as he replies, "Of course, Peter Pan never fails. I couldn't let them think they've won, could I?"

"Well, they did kind of kill you… I'd say that's a win." Peter makes a face and I must supress a smile because he looks so much like a child in that moment. Despite his youthful face he always seems so grown up until he makes faces at me for saying something he doesn't agree with…

We lapse into a comfortable silence, both of us staring at the wall ahead of us. I can tell Peter wants to say something but he hasn't managed to figure out how he wants to say it yet. He never seeks me out simply because he can. I wait patiently for him to find the right words, my eyes taking in the room around us.

"I know you want to stay here and help Henry gain his memories, but I can't justify staying here when I know the moment the heroes find out I'm alive, they'll try to kill me. I was being honest when I told you I'll kill them if they come after me again." Peter turns to me and captures my gaze with the intensity in his eyes.

"I know." I reach out and grab his hand, holding it tightly. "If they try to go after you again, I'll kill them myself." As we stare at one another I can feel our bond shifting and growing stronger. In that moment, I know that we will do whatever it takes to protect the other. We've already lost each other once and neither of us want to go through that pain again.

The intensity grows between us until suddenly we both reach for each other at the same time and our lips crash together. Peter tangles his fingers in my hair and I wrap my hands around the back of his neck. He bites my bottom lip, asking for entrance which I grant with a pleasurable moan. Peter starts to push me backwards so I'm lying on the ground and just as he's about to climb on top of me the door opens.

Immediately we jerk apart and look to the door. Henry is standing there with a wide-eyed look on his face. "Hey… Karina…" He mutters, looking extremely uncomfortable. I turn to shoot Peter a panicked look and he seems equally surprised to see Henry in the room.

"Henry… What are you doing here?" My mind is screaming at me to panic but I must remind myself that Henry doesn't remember who Peter is.

"I just came to get my game…" He points at the small electronic device sitting on the coffee table next to us. Both Peter and I turn to look at it at the same time. Peter slowly reaches for it and then tosses it to Henry, who catches it with ease.

"Um, this is… Drake…" I blurt out. I love Henry, but he tells his mother everything. I know this awkward situation will get back to Emma and I need to give him a name or Emma will become more suspicious.

"Hey…" Henry waves awkwardly at Peter. I don't turn to see if Peter waves back. I only keep my gaze on Henry as I try to gauge his reaction to the situation he just walked into. "I'll… See you later, I guess." Henry leaves the room and quickly shuts the door.

I whip my head around to glare at Peter. When I see he's trying desperately to hold back laughter my glare intensifies. "Ok, why is this funny?"

"Just your whole reaction was hilarious." Peter starts to laugh. "Why on earth did you tell him my name is Drake?"

"Because he's going to tell Emma he caught me making out with some strange guy in our room!" I seethe. "Why didn't you realize he was coming? I thought you could sense people nearby?!"

"I was a little distracted." Peter looks pointedly at my shirt and I realize that at some point during our kissing he managed to pull down the front of my shirt, exposing my black bra underneath. _No wonder Henry was so uncomfortable…_

I blush scarlet red as I pull my shirt up and try to fix my hair. "Ok, you need to go before Henry tells Emma and then Emma tells my father and we have the whole extended family coming to look."

"As the lady commands…" Peter replies sarcastically as he gets to his feet.

"I thought you said I'm not a lady." I tease as I stand up.

"Oh, that's right." Peter smirks and I smack his chest playfully. Joy fills me as we're finally getting back to the way we were before I left Neverland the first time in search of my father. When Greg and Tamara dragged me back we were always either hot or cold to one another. But it's nice to be in between again where everything fits together perfectly.

"Will you search for a way to get Henry's memories back, please?" Peter places his hands on my hips as I lean against him.

"It's most likely what worked for you… True love's kiss. But getting that message across to the thick-skulled heroes will be difficult since I'm still dead and you don't have your memories."

"Maybe we can drop hints." I raise an eyebrow and he snorts.

"I still don't think they'd catch on." He leans down and places a kiss on my forehead. "I'll see you soon." Then with the blink of an eye, he disappears.

I smile to myself and then decide I better have a shower and get ready for the day. I plan to try and find Felix. I know I should've asked Peter but I'm still worried he'll leave Felix wherever he is simply out of jealousy.

Moving towards the bathroom I have a quick shower and change into jeans and a T-shirt, as well as my favourite combat boots. As I'm getting ready my phone rings and I look down to see Nova's name flashing on caller ID. With a heavy sigh, I turn off my phone, eager to ignore any harassment from Nova that is about to ensue. I'm sure Zach would've told her everything by now and she's calling me to demand I get back together with her best friend from childhood.

I grab my key to the room and head to the door as I shove it in my pocket. I swing open the door and release a shrill scream upon seeing my father standing there with his hand raised to knock.

"Sorry." He says sheepishly, a small, apologetic grin gracing his features.

I place my hand over my heart in a lame attempt to soothe its frantic beating. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd take you fishing today… Emma was telling me how much you like being on the water and everyone's taking Henry so many times but you always seem to get left out." His smile is uncertain and I can tell he desperately wants me to say yes. I'm amazed at how much I truly missed my father in the last year. He may side with the heroes and makes a lot of annoying decisions to "protect me", but he's still my father and I've grown to love him dearly.

I decide it will be nice to spend the day with him, though I can't help but feel a little guilty as I think of Felix. _Drake is looking for him. It's not like I'm completely abandoning Felix… Besides, Peter told me to act normal. This will be me acting normal._

"Uh, sure, fishing sounds fun." I smile at him and he seems shocked that I said yes.

"Great! I already told Emma I would be asking you today, so she knows where you are." My father says reassuringly and I can't help but laugh.

"Right, wouldn't want her to think you're kidnapping me or anything."

"Exactly." We smile tentatively at one another and then he leads the way to the marina. As I follow behind him I study his appearance. He looks the exact same as he did a year ago. I think about how both my father and I have cheated death for so many years in our own way by staying young as long as we have. At least it has given us an opportunity to have the relationship we missed out on almost two hundred years ago.

"So, you like to fish?" I ask as we walk across town together. I know his real reason for going out fishing in this small town. It's the same reason as mine: we both love to be out on the water. But I feel pressured by the uncomfortable silence between us to start any kind of conversation.

"Yes, but mostly because I like being out on the water. If only I lived in a different time… I'd make a living out of being a pirate." He flashes me a wild grin and I almost choke on my own saliva.

"Haha, same here. Pirates are the best…" I reply awkwardly and he smiles, looking surprised by my answer.

"So, what do you like about New York?" My father asks. We continue with similar conversation as we reach the boat and I help him prepare the boat to sail. I think he's surprised by my knowledge, if not a little suspicious.

I help him paddle the boat out onto the water and once we've reached a spot on the water that my father deems excellent fishing territory we drop the anchor. I lean back and soak in the sun, smiling. It's been so long since I've been out on the water. I'm surprised I can't see my father's ship docked at the marina. I want to ask him about it but I know that will be a clear give-away.

"What is it about Emma that you like so much?" I ask curiously. I hear loud rustling in the boat and when I open my eyes to look at him he is fumbling to catch his fishing rod. His mouth is open; he's clearly shocked by my question.

"I-I don't know what you mean…" He mutters, his face red.

I laugh. "Oh, c'mon, papa, you can't tell me that you don't have feelings for her." He stops and once I realize what I said, so do I. I'm suddenly filled with horror as I realize my slip may have just cost me dearly. _Peter is going to be furious…_

 **A/N:** This chapter was meant as more of a filler, but also as a way to sort of clear up Karina's feelings. Hopefully, this chapter helped!

Please take a moment to review!


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Ten ~**

 _Oh no, oh no, oh no, OH NO! What have I done? Oh man, Peter is going to throw me off a cliff or something for this… Don't think I can blame him._ My eyes dart around the tiny boat nervously as I ponder throwing myself overboard. _Maybe Monstro will come along and swallow me whole… That would be good right about now._

"What did you say?" My father asks. He dropped the fishing rod and now it lies next to our feet, the worm still wiggling on the hook.

"What? I said nothing!" I say quickly and then immediately curse myself. _Smooth Karina, real smooth…_ "I mean, you just seem pretty fatherly so it kind of slipped out, but you know, obviously you're not my dad." I laugh nervously but really all I want to do is take one of the hooks and stab myself with it. _This can't possibly get any worse._

"No, no. You said it like…" He trails off and shakes his head. "You know. How do you know? How did you get your memories back?" His blue eyes burn into my own and I notice he's using the same look he used to use when I was a child and misbehaving.

"You're crazy." I snort and pick up the rod he dropped. "Shall we fish?"

"Karina Mae Jones, how did you get your memories back? Answer me." Now he's using his no nonsense tone and my inner child cringes. He never used my middle name before. He must be really mad at me if he's going to pull out the middle name trick.

I look at him and my mind draws a blank. I have no idea how I can even begin to explain everything that has happened to me. I decide instead of answering I'll do the one thing I am best at: I'll run.

I grab one of the oars and toss it overboard before jumping in after it. My quick movements jostle the boat and almost tip it as my father throws out his arms to steady it. "Damn it, Karina!" I barely hear him shout as I am submerged underwater. I swim underwater as far away as I can before my lungs start demanding air.

When I break the surface with a deep gulp of air I turn back to see the oar I threw is too far away from my father for him to grab it. He must have realized that too because now he's trying desperately to get the one oar he has left to work in his favour but unfortunately it does him little good. Though, that could also be because of the anchor he clearly forgot is still in the water.

Feeling like my escape is assured I turn and begin my swim back to shore when I hear a loud splash behind me. I stop and turn around again to see my father's leather duster hanging off the side of the boat and now my father is swimming towards me, a determined look in his eyes.

I release a small shriek and start swimming as fast as I can towards the shore, but I'm too far away and he's quickly gaining on me.

An iron grip wraps around my ankle and pulls, jolting me underwater for a split second before he lets me go. "Karina!" He growls. "Get back to the boat. We're not through, you and I."

"Mm, we could be, if you let me go." I suggest but the look he gives me clearly states that he doesn't think I'm being funny. I release a heavy sigh and admit defeat. I know I'll never be able to swim to shore and get away from him. I wasn't expecting him to jump in the water after me, especially wearing all the leather that he does.

"Grab that bloody oar." He grumbles as we swim back to the boat. I grab the oar as he pulls himself into the boat and then turns to watch me like a hawk, as if he expects me to try to get away again. I want to tell him that I'm hurt by his distrust but then I remember I'm his daughter and we're both pirates so I suppose his distrust is perfectly warranted.

As I reach the boat he takes the oar from me and places it on the floor of the boat before reaching down and dragging me into the boat. I lie at the bottom near his feet, panting and staring up at him as he glares at me disapprovingly.

"Ever think I didn't want to tell you because of the look you're giving me now? Hm? I certainly didn't miss the 'disapproving dad' look." I point at his face and he gently slaps my hand away.

"Start talking." He replies, not amused or willing to be distracted.

"Well," I begin as I sit up and wring water out of my hair and clothes. "I can talk about a lot of things. I mean, I can discuss the weather or how lovely that swim was, or perhaps I should talk about the delicious lasagna Granny made."

"Karina!" My father shouts exasperatedly, throwing his arms in the air.

"Alright, alright! Sheesh." I grumble. I take a seat on one of the wooden benches in the boat and stare at my father. The tension between us is thick as he watches me desperately search for a way to explain everything.

"Start talking." He repeats and I narrow my eyes.

"I'm trying! This isn't easy, you know. There's a lot of different factors to consider." I'm trying to decide if I should tell him the whole truth or bits and pieces. My father is loyal to Emma, almost too loyal. If I tell him Peter is alive and the reason I have my memories back he can run off and tell Emma. Then, before I know it there will be a witch hunt for Peter.

"Karina, you can tell me anything." My father says, more gently this time.

I meet his deep blue gaze and see the sincerity in his eyes. I slowly release a breath I didn't even know I was holding and launch into my journey since leaving New York and regaining my memories.

I tell him the whole truth, that Peter was following me in New York and then helped me regain my memories back in Storybrooke with true love's kiss. I also tell him about my old crew siding with the Wicked Witch and trying to kill me. When I finish my father is staring down at his lap, his eyes wide with surprise.

"But papa, you can't tell anyone that Peter is alive. I swear to you that he's not looking to go after Henry or any of you anymore. He just wants to go back to Neverland and he would've already left if it wasn't for me. I told him I can't leave while Henry still doesn't have his memories. Not to mention, I know my crew won't ever stop trying to find me so they can kill me. Especially when they have such a powerful ally helping them. I have to put them in their place."

He stays silent as I nervously chew on my bottom lip, searching his features for any kind of emotion. Finally, after what seems like an eternity he looks up and asks, "Why is your crew trying to kill you?"

I throw my hands up in the air, "Drake thinks it's because my crew thinks I abandoned them and now a member of my crew who always questioned my leadership is trying to take over."

"Then you need to remind them why you were the captain." My father replies, that cold look in his eyes he always took with his crew. I smile gratefully at my father for understanding. By being a captain of pirates, my father understands what needs to be done better than anyone. Having someone so much like me agreeing that a show of force is needed is like having a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

"That's my plan, but it hasn't been exactly easy sneaking around this town pretending I don't have any of my memories." I shrug my shoulders and lean back in my seat, stretching out my legs before me.

"Why don't you tell Emma and the others? I'm sure they'd be thrilled."

"How am I supposed to explain how I've been woken from the curse? I can't tell them it was true love's kiss because then the obvious conclusion will be Peter. I won't endanger him. He's helping me by trying to find a cure for Henry and I've repaid him by accidentally spilling his secret to you!" I wave my hand up and down my father's frame as he chuckles.

"So, you and Peter Pan are true love?" My father asks and I instantly feel uncomfortable. I do not want to have this conversation with him. Obviously, I'm old enough to have a boyfriend and be in love with someone, but conversations like these will never stop being uncomfortable.

"I guess so…" I mutter.

"You know, back in Neverland… After you were shot and almost killed… Pan came to see me. He gave me the body of the boy who almost killed you to prove that your death didn't go unpunished. I knew then that he loved you. I worked with Pan for a long time and not once did he act remotely human, but when he's around you… He's different. And so are you."

"I'm even more twisted than I already am, right?" I ask sarcastically.

"No, that's not it." My father shakes his head. "You are both notorious villains in your own right but when you're together you change. Don't get me wrong, together you two are deadly to other people, but to each other you're sweeter. Something most villains severely lack." He smiles slightly, but it seems sad. "I won't lie when I first learned what you had become I felt so much guilt because I was convinced it was my fault… Truthfully, I still blame myself for what you turned into. But it does bring me some peace that your match is out there… Even if it is Peter Pan."

His words touch me. We rarely get the chance to talk to each other like this. Perhaps stranding ourselves out in the middle of the water was a good idea. It's helped us connect in a way we haven't for a very long time.

"I also want to apologize again for the part I had in Peter's death a year ago. I never want to see you in that kind of pain again and I will do whatever it takes to keep that pain from you." I can see the sincerity in his gaze but also the certainty.

"You're not going to tell Emma?" I perk up, a small, uncertain smile forming on my face.

He hesitates for a moment and then says, "No. I won't. I haven't been the greatest father to you. I owe it to you to keep your secret. Emma and the others won't hear from me about you or Pan. It'll be as if we never had this conversation."

In an instant, I launch myself across the boat and hug him tightly. "Thank you, papa." I whisper in his ear, feeling truly delighted that my father is choosing to take my side.

"Now, shall we fish?" He asks, raising the rod with and grins at me.

"Sure." I laugh.

He casts the line into the water and for a moment he seems peaceful. Then a quizzical look crosses his rugged features and he turns to me and says, "Do you think Pan will be intimidated by my threatening fatherly speech of 'you hurt her, you die'?"

I bark a loud laugh, "You can certainly try."

…..

My father and I spend hours fishing and catching up. Being with him, away from all other distractions for either of us is nice. We're both in our most comfortable space, on the water, and there is no one around to judge our dark jokes and never-ending teasing.

We have to go in when I get a text from Emma asking me where I am. "Man, now that I have my memories back it's weird taking orders from Emma like she's still my guardian." I say this more to myself as I shove my phone back in my pocket.

"When are you going to tell everyone that you have your memories back?" My father asks curiously as we slowly row our way back to shore.

"Hopefully they'll find a way to wake Henry up from the curse and when they do I'll just pretend I'm just waking up too. Then, I'll grab Felix and say I'm going back to Neverland because the lost boys who stayed behind still need a leader… Which is true. But I hope I never have to mention Peter." My plan seems simple enough but with my luck something is bound to go wrong. "You wouldn't happen to know where Felix is, would you?"

He thinks about it for a moment and then shakes his head. "No, love, I don't. I'm sorry." I study his face and am pleased when I see the honesty that shines back. "Last I saw of him was a year ago. He was lurking around, which was suspicious enough. For your sake, I hope he didn't try anything. I'm afraid what might have happened to him if he did…"

Hearing my father worry over his enemy simply because he means something to me proves how far our relationship has come. I smile faintly despite the tug in the pit of my stomach and the voice in my head whispering: _what if Felix is in a lot more trouble than I originally thought? He could even be dead…_

"I can help you look." My father's words drag me out of my thoughts and I'm touched by his offer.

"Thanks, I already have Drake looking too. Drake is good at finding people."

"This Drake fellow, he's loyal to you?" He asks suspiciously.

"My most loyal supporter and friend. I know he would die for me and I'd do the same for him. He was my first mate back when I was captain to a pirate crew… And he's the only member of my crew the Wicked Witch couldn't turn against me." I smile fondly over the thought of my dear friend. "We've been through a lot together, he and I. He's probably the only person besides Peter who knows me better than I know myself. He's like my brother."

"I'm glad you have so many people in your life who are loyal to you and care about you like I do." My father says and we smile at one another just as the boat reaches the docks.

I jump out and start to tie the boat to one of the posts when a strong gust of wind behind me almost pushes me back into the boat. I spin around to see a tall woman dressed in black and green with flaming red hair standing before me. She smirks wickedly as her blue eyes rake over my entire body coldly.

"Karina!" My father shouts, jumping from the boat, his sword raised when he freezes mid-jump, frozen by her magic.

"So, _you're_ the girl Joseph loves to hate so much." The woman remarks snarkily.

"So, _you're_ the woman everyone wants to kill around here." I reply in the same tone but my mouth stretches into a sickly-sweet grin as I slowly look her up and down, unimpressed. "You know, if you're going to promise my head to someone you should at least make sure you can kill me."

The corner of her mouth twists up into a cold grin. "Oh, I'm sure without your little sweetheart protecting you I could easily destroy you."

"Oh, you think? Well, I'm almost 200 years old and I've had a lot of enemies come after me over the years, but guess what? I'm still standing." I throw my arms out to the sides and grin victoriously. "Come at me."

Her eyes narrow as her face begins to turn pink with rage. "Well, that could be because you haven't faced the right villain yet. I'm the Wicked Witch, darling, and wicked always wins."

"You may be wicked, but I can assure you I am much worse. I've killed hundreds of people, men, women and children alike. I don't discriminate. I'm Karina fucking Jones, infamous captain of the Rogue's Revenge, Queen of the Lost Ones and I'm a _damn_ good villain. Now, you claim you're after my life, well, if there's one thing a pirate cares most about, it's their life." I take a step closer to her until we're standing toe-to-toe. "You've started this war but I plan to finish it. So, bring it on, bitch."

I've never been one to back down from a fight and I'm not about to start now even if she has magic. I've dealt with Peter Pan. If I can survive his torturous mind games and endless torment I'm sure I can handle the Wicked Witch.

Her mouth twists as I raise my chin and dare her with my eyes to try something. My fingers twitch, desperate to clasp my dagger hidden in my boot and stab her in the neck. I've done it before. In fact, it's one of my favourite ways to kill my enemies. Being so close that I can see the shock in their eyes as I plunge the cold metal dagger into their throats and then watch as the life fades from their eyes.

Finally, she says, "We shall see." With a wave of her hand she disappears in a cloud of green smoke and my father unfreezes, landing on his face on the deck.

"Any idea why that psycho witch decided to pay me a visit?" I ask him as I help him to his feet.

"No idea." He mutters, his brows furrowed. "It was almost like she was scoping you out to see what kind of an opponent you'll make."

"Or she's trying to figure out the easiest way to kill me."

"Well, you certainly gave her a fright, I'm sure. I've never seen you look so cold and in the short time I've been dealing with the Wicked Witch she's never retreated so quietly." He sounds truly confused by her sudden appearance and equally quick retreat. She wanted something when she came to see me and I have no idea if she got it or not.

"Somehow I think there was more to it. I can be terrifying when I want to be, but I also don't have magic of my own. I'll put up a good fight but even I know I'm no match for someone with magic…" We stay quiet for a moment as I get lost in my thoughts. "I want to know how she knew I have my memories again. She certainly didn't look surprised when I started talking about my real name and who I really am." I cast my father a worried look as I chew on my bottom lip. "I really need to talk to Peter about this."

"I agree."

…..

My father and I decide to go our separate ways leaving the marina just in case we act too familiar around the others in town. He seems a little reluctant to leave my side so soon after the strange encounter with the Wicked Witch but I assure him that I'll call Peter to my side so I can talk to him; he'll be invisible, of course.

"Peter?" I call out as I slowly walk back to Granny's. "Can you hear me?"

"Of course, I can." Peter snorts as he appears beside me. "How was the fishing trip with your father?" His question is innocent enough and if I didn't know him as well as I do I wouldn't catch the flash of danger in his eyes as he asks.

"You know." I groan and throw my head back.

"Of course." Peter replies tightly. His dark green eyes are even darker as he focuses his angry gaze on me.

"It slipped out. I swear. Then I figured I had to tell him everything because if I told him I _somehow_ got my memories back it wouldn't be very believable. He'd keep digging, trust me." Peter's only response is to sigh heavily so I continue hastily, "But, he promised he won't tell anyone and I believe him. He knows you're my true love and he also knows if he tells Emma she'll try to kill you and that'll hurt me. I trust him not to put me through that kind of pain again." I say the last bit quietly and Peter gives my hand a small, reassuring squeeze.

I beam at him, happy with his small show of affection. We'll never be the couple to hold hands and call each other sickly-sweet pet names (ok, well I might call him pet names when I'm trying to annoy him) but it's nice that we have at least reached the point to show each other small moments of affection. Especially when one of us is upset.

"I suppose it's too late for your father not to know, but if you tell anyone I might have to punish you…" I open my mouth to protest when I see the wicked look in his eyes and realize what type of punishment he means.

" _Oh._ " My heart starts to race and I feel a twist in my gut. "Well, maybe I should go tell the whole town." I pretend to take a step away from him when he grabs my wrist and drags me back to him.

"Nice try." He murmurs as he slowly runs his fingers through my hair and then kisses my forehead.

"I figured you'd be angrier than this." I mutter as I rest my head against his chest.

"It's one person who knows… I don't like it, but I'm willing to accept it since it's your father. I knew you'd tell him I'm alive eventually. Guilt would eat you alive if you left without giving him a proper goodbye or telling him your real reason for leaving Storybrooke." Peter shrugs his shoulders as I lift my head and stare skeptically at him.

"That's very mature of you."

"I can be a mature guy." Peter replies, a wide grin on his tanned features.

"Uh huh, because the term 'mature' fits so well with the name Peter Pan." We smirk at one another. "You should know… One other person knows about you…"

In an instant Peter's face morphs back to a look of fury. "Who?!"

"Drake… But I didn't tell him! He figured it out on his own!" I raise my hands in defense.

"He might be too smart for his own good…" Peter mutters, that dangerous look in his eyes is back.

"You will not hurt him. Do you hear me? If you touch one strand on his head I will murder you myself." I grab him by the front of his shirt and jerk him towards me.

His eyes go wide with shock for a split second before he grins excitedly. "I love having you back." Despite my desperate attempt to remain serious a huge smile spreads across my face. It's impossible not to smile back at him when he gives me one of his rare genuine smiles.

I pull away from him and clap my hands. "Ok, serious talk…" Peter raises his eyebrows, clearly amused. "The Wicked Witch paid me a visit."

"What?" He growls, the air around us crackling dangerously with his magic. "What did she want?"

"I don't know. She didn't really say much. She called me the girl Joseph loves to hate, told me that if you don't protect me she could easily destroy me… I replied with awesome villainess threats of my own… And that was it. Then she disappeared." I shrug my shoulders helplessly. "Her short visit with very little words worries me though. She clearly wanted something from me other than a chat. And she seemed to know I already got my memories back… She didn't seem surprised at all when I mentioned my real name in front of her. That could be bad for us if she mentions something to the others as a way to get in their heads…"

"I might have to pay the Wicked Witch a visit." Peter grits his teeth as he curls and unfurls his fists.

"Be careful." I don't bother asking him not to go. Not only do I know it would do no good but I genuinely think Peter is stronger than the Wicked Witch and will have no problem dealing with her if she gets too dangerous.

"Get home. I'll come see you later." He kisses my forehead and then he's gone.

I continue on my way to Granny's, I'm not much farther now and it takes me only a few minutes to reach the front doors. I'm about to step inside when I hear pounding footsteps on pavement behind me. I turn with a scream lodged in my throat when I see it's Drake.

"Captain…" He gasps. "I found him. I found Felix."

My heart and breathing stop as I stare at my friend. He's panting and his face is flushed. I can tell he's been running for a long time, probably running all over town to find me.

"Take me to him." I demand and he nods. He takes my hand and pulls me off the step, back out to the street. I look back and see some of the diner occupants looking at me curiously but no one seems suspicious.

"It took me some time and I sort of had to agree to go on a date with one of the nurses but I found him." Drake tells me as he leads me down the street.

I'm almost tempted to ask about this supposed date he agreed to but one word has caught my attention more than anything else. "Nurse? He's in a hospital?"

Drake grimaces. "The psych ward, actually. I haven't seen him myself but the nurse I asked swears up and down he's in there… She also said it'll be extremely difficult to get to him. Tight security. But I figured…"

"That's never stopped us before." I finish his thought and we grin at one another.

We make it to the hospital quickly, thanks to Storybrooke being such a small town with everything close together. Drake leads me to the elevator as I fill him in on the visit I received from the Wicked Witch.

"That's strange. I don't know much about her, but I do know that she doesn't do anything without reason. You're right about her wanting something from you… But I have no idea what it could be." He shakes his head as he presses the giant button with the letter B printed on it.

The elevator starts to descend as I turn to him and say, "Peter's going to confront her now."

"You think that's a good idea?"

I snort. "As if I could stop him if I didn't. Peter knows what he's doing."

"Let's hope so." Drake replies ominously as the elevator doors open, revealing the basement to us. It's darkly lit, which I find strange for a hospital. The walls are stone and there's a large white desk straight ahead. I can see a long hallway going straight down with multiple white doors lining it on both sides.

We step forward to reveal a severe looking nurse sitting behind the desk. She narrows her eyes skeptically. I glance around, looking for any of the "tight security" Drake mentioned earlier.

"Can I help you?" The nurse demands coldly. Her voice sounds just as severe as she looks.

Drake turns on his most charming smile and I have to suppress a snort. "Hello, I'm afraid my friend and I got lost… We were hoping to find someone to redirect us… But, I wasn't expecting someone as lovely as you. Excuse me, I'm a bit flustered…"

The nurse shoots me an "is this guy joking?" look and before I can stop myself I burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry about my friend, he's an idiot… We're looking for a boy named Felix. We heard he's down here." My eyes drift towards the long hallway for only a moment before I redirect my gaze back to the nurse. I can see Drake face palm out of the corner of my eye but I ignore him.

The nurse's facial expression changes from severe to seriously pissed off. "No one is allowed to see him."

"I'm afraid I must insist." I smile sweetly, my fingers itching to grab my dagger.

"And I must insist that you leave." The nurse replies, her tone stating that she won't be asking again.

I look at Drake and he looks pointedly at the nurse and then back at me. I sigh and reach down to pull out my dagger. I stab a stack of papers on her desk and she shouts, jumping back. "Look, lady. I've had a pretty rotten year and all I want to do is find my good friend Felix and get the hell out of this town. Now, you're going to let me back there to see my friend or I'll cut your tongue out. Got it?"

Her shock quickly turns to anger as she gets up from her seat and I notice her pull a needle out of her coat pocket. "I told you, he isn't allowed visitors." She comes around the desk, stalking towards me.

"What the hell is that?" I ask, backing away.

"You'll see." She smiles darkly and then lunges at me, trying to grab my arm as I jump backwards. I lift my foot and kick her in the wrist as hard as I can. She screams and drops the needle but keeps coming at me with a scream of rage.

"Uh, Drake. Little help here?" I ask as I dodge her attacks.

The nurse screeches like a wild banshee as she continues to come at me. She's so focused on me that she doesn't notice Drake step behind her and then knock her out with one hit to the back of her head. She falls to the ground as Drake cracks his knuckles, clearly pleased with himself.

"Man, I wish I was strong enough to knock someone out with my bare hands." I mutter as I hurry down the hall. Drake simply chuckles as he follows behind me.

Each door has a small window with metal bars covering them. "You check this side, I'll check the other." I order Drake as I start to peer through the windows. Many of them are empty, but the few that aren't don't contain my blonde-haired friend. I can feel myself growing frustrated as we start to reach the end of the hallway.

Then, Drake shouts, "He's here!" He produces a key from his pocket and I realize he must've swiped it off the nurse's desk. I hear the click of the lock and then I push past him, excitement causing my heart to race.

But not too soon after entering the room do I reel back in horror, screaming at the gruesome sight before me. "Oh God! _Felix!_ "

 **A/N:** Once again, I must apologize for the late update. Shortly after I posted the last chapter I received some devastating news. Someone very close to me passed away and it was very sudden; no one saw it coming. I needed to take some time for myself to face the loss I suffered and to learn to cope with it. I hope you can all understand and will forgive my late update. I know I've said this before, but I really will try to get my updates back on track.

Please take a moment to review.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Eleven ~**

The grisly sight of my close friend makes my stomach drop as tears spring to my eyes. There's blood everywhere, not only covering his entire body but it also coats the walls. There's old vomit in the corner of the room, dried on the floor but it still casts a putrid scent. My body wants to react to the smell but I force myself to remain calm.

In a few long strides, I've crossed the room and reached the bed that Felix has curled his body onto. Slowly I reach out and place a hand on his knee. He jerks back, his eyes wide yet unseeing. "Don't touch me!" He snarls and lashes out. His fist connects with my jaw and I'm so surprised by the sudden assault that I fall back onto the ground with a sharp cry.

"Captain!" Drake calls from the doorway. I raise my hand to stop him from entering the room. It's best to keep Drake and Felix as far apart as possible until Felix regains his senses.

I get up to my feet and once again crouch down next to Felix. He watches me, his chest heaving and his dark eyes seeing the form of a girl before him but still not recognizing who I am. "Get away from me." He says through gritted teeth. "I won't tell you what you want to know."

"Felix… It's me. It's Karina. I'm here to help you." I say this in the most soothing tone I can muster. Biting my lip, I reach for his battered hand, hoping there will be something about me that will bring him back to his senses.

With lightning fast reflexes Felix reaches out and grasps my hand tightly with both of his, turning it over to stare at my palm like it's some kind of marvel. Slowly, I can see the realization dawn on his face. He looks up at me and it's like a drowning man was just offered a lifeline. "Karina?"

"Yes, it's me. I finally found you." I smile through my tears and then pull him in for a tight hug. I don't expect him to hug me back. If anything, I expect him to push me away. Felix has never been the affectionate type. However, instead of rejecting the hug he pulls me in closer and my throat tightens. _What could have happened to him to make him like this?_

He pulls away and reaches a shaking hand to poke my face, as if he's trying to prove to himself that I'm real. "But… You left. Your memories were taken away. I thought I would never see you again."

"That's a very long story. One that I will be happy to explain to you once I've gotten you out of here… That nurse who guards the ward, she's a real piece of work, huh?" Felix snorts as I take his hands and try to help him off the bed.

"Nurse Ratched… Yea, she's a doll." His tone is thick with sarcasm. As he gets to his feet he releases a sharp cry and collapses to the ground again, almost bringing me with him. Drake rushes in to help and Felix immediately pulls back. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Drake Ryley, left tenant to Captain Karina Jones." Drake does a small bow, being perfectly polite even though it's not something Felix appreciates or wants.

Felix turns to me and even with his face being so battered he's hardly recognizable but I can still see the "are you serious?" look shining through.

"He can help." I tell him as I grab one of Felix's arms and throw it over my shoulder while Drake grabs the other. "We're kind of in enemy territory right now with a lot of people breathing down our necks. We can use all the help we can get. Besides, I trust Drake with my life."

"That's good for you." Felix mutters, clearly perturbed by his vulnerable state. I know if he had it any other way he would shrug both Drake and I off and walk out on his own. Unfortunately, I think one of his legs might be broken.

We take Felix out of his disgusting room and lead him down the hall, ignoring all the screams of other patients begging to be released. We go as quickly as we can, even though Felix's extensive injuries slow us down to being much slower than before. Thankfully, when we step into the lobby the nurse is still passed out on the ground.

"You did that?" Felix asks, pointing a bent finger at the nurse.

"Drake, actually. I just wore her out."

"Sure, you did, Captain." Drake replies sarcastically. "Whatever you want to believe…"

"Excuse me?" I gasp. "I was the one who rid her of that awful syringe before she could inject either one of us with it!"

"Clear liquid?" Felix asks and when I shoot him a confused look he clarifies, "In the syringe. Was it a clear liquid?"

"Yea. Why?"

"It was probably the same stuff she uses on everyone down here… It's like a poison. She injects it into your veins and it slowly drives you insane. It makes your veins feel like they're boiling and your head feels like it's going to explode. Not only that, but it tortures you with hallucinations of your biggest fears and past regrets." Felix spits the words out bitterly as Drake and I share a shocked look. _He must be very familiar with the experience…_

"You've experienced this pain, I take it?" Drake says aloud what I was already thinking.

"Yea, twice a day. Thanks to her Majesty." Felix growls. "Lucky me, I always got it as a daily dose. The others would only get it when they misbehaved."

"Wait, Regina had the nurse do this to you?" I demand, my temper rising. _How dare she?!_

"Yup. Who do you think created the concoction? I'd like to think she created it with me in mind… Punishment for siding with Pan. She blames me for losing Henry. Sometimes she'd come in to watch me get the injection, sadistic bitch." Felix spits out blood onto the ground as the elevator doors open before us.

With a bit of struggling we manage to get the three of us into the elevator before the doors try to close on us. My eyes stay glued to the nurse as the doors shut behind us. I'm almost tempted to go back in there and stomp on her neck, cut off her air supply and watch her die. But as awful as she may be, she's not the mastermind behind my friend's torture. She'll suffer eventually… And so will Regina.

The elevator starts to ascend and Drake looks at Felix, inspecting his bloody face. "Don't tell me the Evil Queen did this to your face, mate?"

Felix casts him a sidelong look and then turns to me. Without even speaking I know what he's asking, "You're sure we can trust him?" The advantages of being such close friends who hunted and tortured together we are now on a wavelength that no one else can understand.

"You can trust him. Drake is my most loyal supporter. We would die for each other." I say and Drake grins appreciatively at me.

"No… Some other random guy came in and did this to me." Felix winces as I adjust his arm around my shoulder. Clearly, I jostled something that I shouldn't have.

"Sorry." I mutter sheepishly.

"Did he say why he was beating you so viciously?" Drake asks.

"You know, we really didn't get the chance when he was breaking every finger on my hand and beating my fucking face in!" Felix shouts furiously. I'm sure if he was able to he'd take a swing at Drake right about now.

The doors open to reveal an elderly old woman waiting for an elevator with flowers in her hands. She had a slight smile on her face until she saw the three of us. Her eyes scan Felix's battered form with horror as she drops the flowers and screams horrifically.

"Time to go!" I shout as Drake and I practically drag Felix past the old woman and towards the doors. I can hear people shouting behind us but I don't dare look back as we race out the doors. "Get to the trees. We can't have anyone see me rescuing my old Neverland buddy."

"Good thinking." Drake agrees and we change direction, heading straight towards the thick treeline.

"Why can't people see you rescuing me? Afraid they'll think you're actually on my side?" Felix taunts but I can tell he's actually hurt. Before we separated a year ago my loyalties were constantly being divided because I had love for people on both sides. Felix would always taunt me for it then too and I hate that he thinks I'm still the same person I was a year ago.

"Shut up, Felix." I growl. "They can't see me rescuing because everyone beside Drake and my father and now you think I'm still poor, defenseless Karina without her memories."

"Uh, I think you forgot one important person to that list." Drake mutters and I almost wish I could strangle him. I do not need to mention Peter to Felix right now. Once we've gotten away and I have the chance to explain everything properly I will happily tell Felix that Peter is alive.

"Shut up, Drake!" I shout and then immediately cringe. I hope I didn't sound too loud and that no one from the hospital is pursuing us right now. Although I'm sure a call will be made to the sheriff's office any minute now. It's that thought that stops me dead in my tracks. "Oh no."

My sudden halt of movement was a surprise to Drake who had continued hurrying along the dirt path and we ended up jerking Felix around because of it. Now, he cries out in pain as Drake quickly steps towards me so that Felix isn't as stretched out.

"What's wrong?" Drake asks me nervously.

"What do you think?!" Felix shouts, cursing loudly as he glares murderously at Drake.

"Not you! I was asking the Captain." Drake replies, clearly getting annoyed with Felix's abrasive attitude.

"We just took Felix from a psych ward… In a hospital… And people saw us take him. They're going to call the sheriff's office!" Drake still looks confused and that urge to strangle him comes back. "Where Emma and her whole freaking extended family work! Once Emma figures out that Felix was broken out she's automatically going to suspect me!"

"I don't know… You seem to expect a lot out of Emma Swan's intelligence." Felix mutters dryly.

"So, what? You want to take him back?" Drake asks disbelievingly. "It's kind of late for that now! That hospital is going to be on high alert for the next few hours, if not days!"

"Of course we're not taking him back! And leaving him there wasn't an option either. Who knows, whoever tortured him could come back for round two. Let's not forget Nurse Ratched with her super fun needle either." I sigh heavily. "I just wish we would've gone about this a little bit smarter. Damn it! I should've gone ahead to secure the area. Or we should've taken the stairs! People are lazy, no one ever takes the stairs."

"Whoa, hey, Captain. Don't beat yourself up. You were emotional. Clearly, you care about this guy a lot. No one can blame you for wanting to get him out and away from the torture as quickly as possible. I should've been the one to think of this stuff." Drake truly looks upset with himself.

I feel Felix grow heavier in my arms and I turn to see he's passed out. "Ok, we can discuss this later. Right now, we have to get Felix out of here and get him treated." Immediately my thoughts go to Peter and I wonder what his reunion with his most loyal lost boy will be like.

"Where are we taking him? We can't exactly take him back to your place." Drake asks. Truthfully, I hadn't thought about our next move. All I wanted was to get Felix out and away from that hellhole. Drake is right that I can't take Felix back to my place, for obvious reasons. However, Drake has a place of his own…

Slowly, I turn to Drake and smile my biggest grin that I can muster. To be a little bit more persuading I even bat my eyelashes a few times.

Realization dawns on his face and he points his finger at my face, "No, no, no! Captain, no! This guy clearly hates me and quite frankly, I'm not so fond of him either. You know I will do it if you really ask me to, but please don't."

"Drake, please! There is no where else to take him. Besides, Felix is as important to me as you are. I don't trust anyone else to take care of him and watch out for him. What if whoever beat him finds him and tries to kill him?" I put on my best pouting face as I silently plead with him to reconsider.

Drake purses his lips together and then sighs angrily. "Fine. He can stay at my place. I can't see why Pan won't take him in. Felix is his first mate."

"I don't even know where Peter is half the time. Who knows if he even has a place to keep Felix right now." I shrug my shoulders as Drake sighs again.

"Alright. Off we go then." Once again, we change directions as Drake leads us to what I assume is his home. This time it's much more difficult as Felix is unconscious and incredibly heavy.

….

We stumble towards a house that sits on the treeline near the marina. By heart is pounding and there is a thick coating of sweat covering my back. I had no idea Felix would be so heavy, but I suppose his tall frame leaves a lot of room for weight. As we reach the front door to the small, white house I hear Drake fumbling with his keys.

Moments pass and then the door is pushed open, Drake leading the way into the darkness that waits inside. "C'mon, let's put him in the guest room." Drake grunts. It's so dark in the house and I have no idea where I'm going so I find myself stumbling over furniture with almost every step.

"Damn it, Drake! Can't you turn on any lights?" I curse, hopping on one foot after stubbing the other pretty badly on what I assume was the couch.

"Hold on." Drake replies and a moment later the room is flooded with light revealing a small living room and dining room… And Peter Pan leaning against the wall. "Damn it!" Drake shouts upon seeing the infamous leader of the lost boys in his home.

I don't shout because honestly, I'm not surprised to see him. I had a feeling he would show up eventually. If I didn't know any better I would accuse him of planting a tracking device somewhere on my body. But Peter Pan doesn't need any kind of technology like that because he has magic to track me down wherever and whenever he pleases.

"How'd you get in here, mate?" Drake asks, looking uncomfortable. Peter doesn't say anything, merely stares passively at him, which seems to make Drake even more uncomfortable. Peter has that effect on people.

I realize that this will be the first time Peter and Drake are meeting. I can't help but look nervously between the two. Peter's always been jealous of anyone who gets too close to me and Drake is a reminder of the time I left Peter and didn't come back until he dragged me back. Even though we're on good terms now I can't imagine Peter is Drake's biggest fan.

Peter pushes off the wall and slowly walks towards us. His eyes are focused on my face before slowly his gaze shifts to Felix's face. His face remains passive, not even a flicker of emotion passes over his face and I know he's doing that because Drake is also watching his reaction. "Where did you find him?" Peter's green eyes flicker back to mine.

"The psych ward, guarded by a psychotic nurse." I reply bitterly. I'm still annoyed with that woman for following Regina's orders and injecting Felix with a torturous liquid twice a day. One might argue she was only doing her job but there's always a choice and she's about to discover the consequences of that choice.

"And who did this to him?" Peter asks, his voice so quiet I barely hear the question. His eyes are studying Felix's face intently and for a moment I see a flicker of anger. I know in a moment that he's just as furious by the treatment of his friend and I relax. I was worried Peter would let his past jealousy get in the way but he either moved past it or is choosing to ignore it.

"We don't know. He told us it was some random guy. But Regina was having him tortured with some magical liquid injected into his veins… Punishment for siding with you. I'd hate to see what she would've done to me if I stuck around." I mutter bitterly.

"Set him on the couch." Peter orders, acknowledging Drake for the first time since we got here. With a bit more struggling we manage to set Felix down on the couch and immediately back away. My shoulders seem to be singing with joy now that the extra weight is gone. I roll my shoulders and crack my back, glad that we've finally reached our destination.

Peter steps towards Felix to stand over his battered body and then places his hand on his chest. On the outside, it looks like nothing is happening but I know better. In an instant Felix is sitting up screaming in agony, but all of his injuries are healed. The only thing that remains is the dried blood, which will easily be washed away with a hot shower. Peter takes his hand away and steps back to watch silently as Felix tries to adjust to his surroundings and the fact that he's not in constant pain.

Chest heaving, Felix slowly turns towards the three of us. He sees me and Drake but then he turns to face Peter and his jaw drops slightly. "But… You were dead."

"Come now, Felix. I thought you knew better than to underestimate me." Peter replies easily, a cocky smirk covering his face now.

"Peter Pan never fails." He whispers and in seconds he gets up and strides towards his leader. The two boys look at one another and then Felix grabs Peter and brings him in for one of those manly hugs I always see guys do. The one where they smack each other on the back repeatedly while pretending they didn't really miss the other.

"Awe, my boys." I smirk when the two give me a dark look. As the boys pull away I say to Peter, "So you really didn't know where he was?"

"No… But now that I know Regina was keeping him locked up it makes sense. She must have put a cloaking spell on him. How did you find him?" Peter asks, his brows furrowing together.

"Drake found him." I nod towards my friend. He crosses his arms over his chest and puts on a tough face, but I know being around Peter makes him uncomfortable. Honestly, that just proves to me how smart Drake really is. I may be comfortable around Peter and Felix because they're my family and have been for years. But to others they are deadly and should certainly not be trusted.

"And how did you find him?" Peter asks, taking a few steps towards Drake, a dangerous look in his eyes.

"I have my sources." Drake replies curtly. His stance screams 'back off' but as the tension rises in the room it does little to deter Peter Pan from advancing on him.

"Do you?" Peter asks, his eyes wide with mock wonder. A deadly smile graces his features moments before Peter reaches out and shoves his hand into Drake's chest, gripping his heart. Drake and I cry out at the exact same time as Peter brings Drake to his knees. "Let's get this straight, I _don't_ trust you and I sure as hell don't trust you near my girl. How is it, that out of every single member of Karina's crew you're the _only one_ who _conveniently_ didn't turn against her? Hm?"

Drake's only response is a choked gasp. I step forward and grab Peter's arm, "Peter, stop! Drake is loyal to me! He was the very first man to join my crew and the only one who fully supported me despite me being a woman. Let him go!"

"I made… A vow." Drake gasps clutching at Peter's arm that is still embedded in his chest. "The day I became her left tenant… I swore to always protect her. A vow may not mean much to you, Peter Pan, but I'm a man of my word." Drake looks at Peter with so much hatred it chills the room.

A cold smile stretches across his face and just when I think Peter's going to crush Drake's heart he pulls his hand out and Drake collapses to the ground, clutching his chest. "Let's get one thing clear… You hurt or betray her in any way and I will show you unimaginable torture. You'll be begging for death by the time I'm through with you."

"I could say the same thing to you." Drake replies, still gasping from the pain he just experienced. He looks up and raises a brow, clearly challenging Peter to reply or try to crush his heart.

The tension in the room is so thick it's practically suffocating. As Peter and Drake stare each other down Felix and I share nervous glances. Neither of us want a fight to break out between these two because while I adore Drake I know he'll lose against Peter. Losing against Peter will only mean one thing for Drake: death. I don't want to watch my friend die and I don't think Felix wants to witness it either; just another example that when it comes to me no one else matters to Peter.

I decide to step in and walk towards Peter, placing my hands on his chest and pushing him back. He wraps his arms around me possessively but allows me to push him back, though his eyes never stray from Drake. "Ok, guys, time to chill. You both want to protect me and I care about both of you. But if neither of you have noticed I kind of don't need protection." As an example I take out one of my daggers and show it to them, smiling proudly.

My words seem to work because they both relax, barely, and look away from each other. Peter turns back to Felix and asks, "Who was able to get the best of you enough to beat you so badly?" He seems annoyed that his fiercest lost boy was so viciously attacked.

"I don't know. He was some guy. He chose his time wisely. He came in right after the nurse injected me with that stuff that makes me feel like my whole body is on fire and gives me hallucinations. I couldn't put up much of a fight when I was seeing my worst nightmares brought to life before my eyes… I couldn't even really get a good look at him." Felix shakes his head angrily.

"Well, what did you see of him?" Drake asks. He's standing again, back in the same stand-offish position he was in before.

Peter turns to give him a furious look as if Drake shouldn't even bother speaking. Drake returns Peter's look with the middle finger. Peter spins around and is about to charge at Drake when I step in the middle again. "Hey! Guys! Knock it off, already!" I shout and smack both of their chests. _This is going to be a very long night…_

"I don't know what he looks like, I thought I already made that clear." Felix says through gritted teeth. "I was a bit busy being beaten half to death to get an accurate description for your records." Drake looks at Felix and now the two share angry looks. I throw my hands in the air, already getting annoyed with the three testosterone filled males.

"Well, this is going great…" I mutter sarcastically and all three turns to give me the exact same dry stare. _So they can't get along with one another but they can all agree when I'm being annoying… That's good to know._

"I did notice one thing though… It was kind of hard to miss because it looked like my own scar." Felix says after a moment. "He had a really long scar covering most of his face and just barely missing his eyes."

Drake and I turn to each other, both our jaws dropped. "Joseph." We say together.

"That wannabe captain?" Peter growls.

"Why would he go after Felix?" Drake asks me. "You didn't even know where he was until an hour ago. Even if it was to send a message to you there was no guarantee that you would find him."

"Because they were betting on me finding him." I mutter and three sets of eyes turn to study me. "That's why the Wicked Witch came to see me. She was testing me to see how much of my memories I have back because she probably knew that I wouldn't leave Felix, wherever he was, if I had my memories."

"And it gave Joseph the time to find Felix and beat him." Drake says, realization dawning on his face. "She was the distraction because I had already found Felix for a few hours before I found you. I was looking everywhere for you."

"I'm going to kill her. I'm going to kill both of them." I snarl, my hands curling into fists.

"Patience." Peter tells me. "We'll destroy all of our enemies. You just have to be patient." The four of us exchange dark grins and I distantly notice that four of the worst villains are silently forming an alliance of our own. _Our enemies better watch their backs because we're coming for them._

"You went to see the Wicked Witch, right? What did she say?" I ask Peter.

"Not much. I had to throw her around a bit to get her to talk but when I finally did she barely said anything. I couldn't get her to admit why she came to see you. She likes to speak in cryptic messages." Peter growls, clearly frustrated with the lack of information he received.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter now because we've figured it out." I say as I pull my phone from my back pocket.

"She still approached you and threatened to kill you. For that she's going to die… Horrifically." Peter grins wickedly.

"For once, you and I agree on something." Drake mutters and the two share a strange look.

"Ah crap." I mutter when I see I've got 13 missed calls from Emma, 9 from my father and 3 from Henry. It's after midnight and past the curfew Emma gave me, no wonder they're calling me so much. My dad's probably freaking out after the interaction with the Wicked Witch. I hope he doesn't crack under pressure and tell Emma my secret. "I have to go. I can't wait until I no longer have to pretend I don't have my memories. I'm so sick of Emma's rules and micro-parenting."

"Why do you have to go?" Felix asks curiously as I shove my phone back in my pocket.

"Curfew." I make a face and he laughs.

"Karina Jones has a curfew… Interesting." He smirks and I point a warning finger at him. "Felix, you're going to stay here with Drake. I can't very well take you back to my place with Emma and the others."

Drake and Felix share a distasteful look. "Oh joy…" Felix mutters.

"My thoughts exactly." Drake replies.

"See? You guys are already agreeing. I'm sensing the starts of a beautiful friendship." I smile sweetly at the two of them. Meanwhile, they look like they may not make it through the night without gauging the other's eyes out. "Are you coming with me?" I ask Peter.

"No. I want to check something out." Peter replies ominously and I raise an eyebrow. He smiles charmingly. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you soon." He leans down and cups my face with both of his hands. His lips meet mine in a hungry kiss, like a man dying for one last taste of his favourite food. Drake clears his throat uncomfortably and Peter pulls back, flashing him a possessive grin. "See you." He whispers to me and then disappears with a blink of an eye.

"Wow. I really missed that." I mutter as I dazedly walk to the front door. As I'm about to walk out I turn back to see Felix and Drake eyeing one another. "You two behave. I'll be back tomorrow morning… If Emma doesn't handcuff me to a chair, that is."

I wave goodbye and walk out of the house. I barely get down the driveway when someone calls my name and I turn around to see Felix jogging after me. "I want to… Thank you, for saving me." I smile at his difficulty thanking me. Being grateful isn't exactly a feeling that Felix deals with well. "You'll have to tell me all about that 'long story' of yours." I realize he's referring to earlier when he asked me how I got my memories back and I promised to explain it later.

"Of course. Tomorrow." I smile and before Felix can walk away I pull him in for a tight hug. "I am so happy you're safe."

"Thanks to you." He whispers into my ear.

"And Drake… So try to go easy on him tonight, ok? He really is a good guy."

"Mhm, I make no promises." Felix replies, slowly backing away, back to the house. "Good night, Karina."

"Night." I wave and set out again. I wait until I get far enough away from the house that they can no longer see me before I change direction. There's one thing I have to do before going home…

….

The elevator doors open with a small ding. I push back my dark hood that I had used to obscure my face from any curious eyes and step into the dimly lit basement of the hospital. The same nurse is once again sitting behind the desk and she doesn't look up from her computer as I slowly step towards her.

"Visiting hours are over." She mutters in a bored tone. She continues to type away at her computer as if the sudden entrance of a stranger in the middle of the night isn't a cause for concern.

"Oh, I'm not here to visit any of the patients." I reply easily and instantly her head shoots up and she stares at me with wide eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asks angrily. "You already took your patient. I'm calling security." She reaches for the phone but I reach out and grab her hand in a rough grip. Her eyes lift to meet mine and I smile so sickly sweet that fear flickers across her gaze for a moment.

"You tortured my friend." I say quietly. "And now I'm going to torture you."

"I was under orders." The nurse replies as she tries to get up and back away from me but my grip on her wrist is too tight. I see her eyes desperately searching for something and I can only assume she's trying to find a syringe.

"Well the person who gave you orders is going to pay for it too, but for now… I'll settle for you." I let her go and watch as she bolts for the doors leading to the staircase. I smirk and follow her.

She struggles with the lock on the door and unfortunately for her she struggles a bit too long. I grab her arm and spin her around. I see the decision on her face to fight me and she tries to charge me but I side step her and kick her in the back of the leg, knocking her down.

She gets up and comes at me again, wrapping her fingers in my hair and throwing me into the wall. I cry out and turn back to face her, charging her and knocking her into the desk. The computer and papers crash to the ground as I drag her along the desk. She tries to lash out wildly but she's so disoriented I'm easily able to dodge her attacks. I bash her head against the corner of the desk and then as she collapses to the ground I stomp on her hand, hearing the bones crunch and relishing in her agonized scream.

I kneel beside her face and smile darkly as she glares hatefully at me. I pull out my dagger and trail the cool metal tip down the side of her face. Her chest heaves and her wide eyes follow the path of the dagger. "Poor Nurse Ratched…" I trail off. With a sudden move I force my dagger up under her chin and upwards towards her brain. Her mouth opens with permanent shock, blood seeping from the wound onto the ground. I watch as the light slowly fades from her eyes, a rueful grin etched across my face.

I pull the dagger out and then wipe the blood off onto her white nurse's uniform. Blood covers my hand too and I try to wipe it off as best as I can on her skirt but my hands are still stained with the red substance.

With a cold grin I sheath my dagger back into my boot and call for the elevator. The doors open with a ding and as they shut behind me I turn back to take one last look at the dead nurse, now lying in her own pool of blood.

 **A/N:** I'm so glad to be at this point of the story. I hope you all liked this chapter.

Please take a moment to review!


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Twelve ~**

I reluctantly drag my feet up the stairs to our room at Granny's Inn. My hands are tinged red and I have to remind myself to keep them shoved in my pockets until I can wash it off or else my secret will be blown wide open. I listen intently at the door, trying to detect any sounds of movement on the other side. It's late, very late, and it's silent on the other end, but that doesn't mean everyone went to bed. Emma could be sitting on the couch in the dark waiting for me… It wouldn't be the first time.

I place the key in the lock and step into the room as quietly as I can. Like I guessed, the room is pitch black. I slowly close the door behind me, cringing with every creak it makes. When I turn around and head further into the suite the light in the living room turns on. My dark red hands catch my attention and I immediately stuff them in my pocket as I squint against the light.

Emma and my father are sitting on the couch, both glaring accusingly at me. I study their faces to see any reaction to the dried blood on my hands but see nothing. I breathe a sigh of relief but then immediately regret relaxing so soon because judging by the look on Emma's face I'm about to get a serious lecture.

"Karina." Emma says, getting up from the couch. "So glad you're alive."

Before I can help myself I roll my eyes. "A bit dramatic, are we?"

If Emma were a cartoon I'm sure steam would be coming out of her ears. "No, Karina. I don't think I'm being dramatic. You're a seventeen-year-old girl in a new town. A girl who's had past medical issues and could very well be losing her mind in a ditch somewhere!"

Before I gained my memories back her words would've made me flinch. But now that I'm back to normal and I know I'm not actually going crazy her words are almost laughable. "Well clearly," I look down at my body, careful to keep my hands hidden. "That didn't happen."

"Karina, where _were_ you? I called you so many times. The least you could've done was pick up the phone. We were worried!" Emma gestures to my father and I flicker my gaze to his face and see the same parental disapproval that's on Emma's face.

I sigh heavily. "Sorry." Even to my own ears my apology doesn't seem very sincere. Emma purses her lips and looks at my father.

He clears his throat and takes a few steps towards me, "Karina, people worry when they don't hear from you. Especially after so many things have been happening…" Emma seems confused by his choice of words but I understand. He can't outright say what he wants to with Emma around and still keep his promise to me. But he still wants me to know how worried he was about me after the confrontation with the Wicked Witch and then my sudden disappearance.

Feeling like a deflated balloon I sigh again and this time my apology seems more sincere, "Sorry." I direct my apology more to my father than to Emma but she doesn't seem to notice. My father does, however, and he smiles. "Can I go to bed now?"

"I should ground you." Emma says instead and I narrow my eyes. "I'm not doing this to make you angry, Karina. I'm just trying to protect you!"

"I'm seventeen, I think I can take care of myself at this point." I mutter dryly. _Actually, I'm almost two hundred years old, but I digress…_

"This is a new town and like I said you have your medical issues… I worry about you." Emma's eyes plead with mine and I can tell she was really worried. "I won't ground you this time, but promise me you'll make a bigger effort to be back here by curfew and call if you're going to be late."

"Alright, I promise." My tone sounds slightly annoyed but thankfully neither Emma or my father catch it. "Good night." I turn and walk to the bathroom, eager to get away from their disapproving looks.

Once I'm out of their line of sight I hurry down the hall, into the bathroom. I barely even have the chance to turn on the light as I storm into the room. I turn on the water as hot as I can get it and pump soap into my hands. I scrub vigorously, watching as the dark red blood swirls around the drain.

I hear footsteps coming down the hallway and I start to panic as there is still dried blood caked under my finger nails. I can't let whoever is coming down the hallway catch me literally red handed. I immediately turn off the water and grab the towel, hiding my hands under it as I dry them.

Seconds later my father rounds the corner. "I wanted to thank you for behaving so graciously with Emma. I know it can't be easy for you taking orders from her now that you have your memories back."

"Well I still have to keep my cover."

"Yes, I know. But that doesn't mean you can't give her more attitude. Instead you chose to approach the situation maturely. Thank you for that." He smiles brightly and I can't believe my ears. He's actually thanking me for being 'mature'. _Interesting._

"Well, I'm exhausted. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Night!" I throw the towel on the counter and hurry past him. He seems surprised by my abruptness but doesn't say anything as I shut myself into my room.

I release a heavy sigh and start preparing myself for bed, suddenly feeling as exhausted as I previously claimed.

…..

I wake much earlier than I would have liked with the sun shining on my face. I try to cover my face with my blanket but the damage is done. I can feel my body waking up, alerting me to just how badly I need to relieve my bladder. "Ugh." I groan as I throw back the blankets and slowly crawl out of bed.

I go to the bathroom and pick at the blood under my nails some more. But then I hear arguing in the kitchen and I recognize the voices as Emma and my father's. My interest is piqued and once I've finished in the bathroom I creep down the hallway towards the kitchen. I don't want them to know I'm listening otherwise I'll never hear the information I need.

"It couldn't have been Zelena, Hook! I'm telling you, stabbing someone like that isn't her style. We might actually have a real serial killer on our hands." Emma insists and I realize that she's talking about Nurse Ratched. Someone found her body a lot faster than I was anticipating.

"I highly doubt it's a serial killer." My father snorts. "Who in this town has the potential? Grumpy? It was probably Zelena wanting to pin it on someone."

"I don't know." Emma mutters. "They found that one of their patients is missing too… And you won't believe who." There's silence and then Emma continues, "Felix. I had no idea he was here! I talked to Regina this morning and she says she was keeping him locked up in the psych ward."

"I didn't know he was here either… Last I saw of him was a year ago, shortly after Pan's curse hit." I can hear the suspicion in his voice.

"I don't know anyone here who would free him. Pan's dead, Karina doesn't have her memories… No one else would dare try to free him. They know how dangerous he is. Do you think Zelena freed him? Maybe she's looking for an ally."

"Possibly." He sounds very cryptic but Emma either doesn't notice or doesn't care.

"David and I are going to check it out, are you coming?"

"No… I was thinking I would try to spend the day with Karina. If she'll have me." I hear shuffling in the kitchen.

"Well, good luck with that. If you take her out make sure she's back by curfew." Emma mutters.

"Yes ma'am." He replies easily and I can picture the flirtatious grin he's probably trying to win Emma over with. There's more shuffling and then the door shuts. I peek around the corner to see my dad standing at the door, his back to me. However, he seems to know I'm there because he says, "Karina."

"Morning…" I mutter, walking into the room. "Someone's dead?" Casually, I make my way to the fridge, taking out the milk so I can make a bowl of cereal.

"Yes, a nurse who just so happened to be guarding your friend, Felix." My father growls and I'm startled by how angry he seems.

"Huh." I mutter as I pour Cheerios into a bowl. I don't look at him as I prepare my breakfast.

"You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" He asks quietly and I can feel his eyes boring into the side of my head.

"Nope." I shove a mouthful of Cheerios into my mouth. We stare at each other, both of us not saying anything as the only sound in the room that can be heard is my chewing. He seems to be trying to intimidate me to confess. I roll my eyes and set the bowl on the counter. I'm about to confront him about his lack of trust when he reaches out with his only good hand and grips my wrist tightly.

"What's this?" He asks, showing me my fingers, or more specifically, my nails, which are still caked with dried blood.

"Red nail polish." I reply cheekily. I know the jig is up. He knows I killed her, he probably suspected it the moment Emma told him about Nurse Ratched's death. But just because he knows doesn't mean I can't be as difficult as possible.

"Don't lie to me." He growls, his face turning pink from anger. "How could you kill her? Just to free a very dangerous boy? He and Pan are going to get together and rip this town to shreds."

I jerk my hand away from him. "That 'dangerous boy' is my friend. I freed him because Regina was torturing him! I told you Peter doesn't want anything to do with this town or anyone in it anymore, all he wants is to go home. Felix feels the exact same way and so do I."

"How naïve can you be? Don't you see what's happening? Enemy lines are being drawn. The Wicked Witch, Peter Pan and his closest ally! And you're in the middle. This town is about to become a war zone." He shakes his head disbelievingly, like he can't understand why I'm being so difficult.

"No, it's not! How many times do I have to tell you Peter isn't after Henry or anyone?" I can feel my frustration getting worse.

"Where is he?" He demands, his nostrils flaring.

"Not telling." I reply petulantly, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Damn it, Karina! Can't you see I'm trying to protect you? If Emma finds out you killed someone and released an enemy of hers, an enemy to her _son_ , she won't show you mercy."

"Oh yea, because I'm so afraid of Emma Swan. Felix is not just my friend, he's my family. I'd rather die before I sell him out." The tension in the room rises as we glare furiously at one another.

"Karina…" He says warningly. "You killed someone. What were you thinking?"

"Oh my God. How can you be such a huge hypocrite right now?!" I throw my hands into the air. "We're _pirates_! _Villains_. And you want to judge me for doing what a villain does? I don't regret killing that nurse and if I'm lucky I'll get my hands on Regina and kill her just like I did the nurse! She ordered the torture of my friend, simply for being loyal to someone who treated him like family."

"I may be a pirate, but that doesn't make me a villain and it doesn't make you one either. We both know that pirates choose the winning side, whether it's good or evil."

"What makes you think I haven't?" I raise an eyebrow and he seems taken aback by my answer. "Face it, papa. The villains in this town are coming together. You said it yourself, battle lines are being drawn."

"I won't let you do this. I'll tell Emma what you're doing and she will put a stop to it." I can't believe he's threatening me with telling on me to his girlfriend.

"Do it!" I shout. "I'm calling your bluff." I take a step closer to him until we're standing face to face. "But know that if you tell her, you'll officially make us enemies. I don't want to be your enemy, papa, but I bet I can take you on. So bring it." Our faces are so close together either one of us could reach out and hit the other. But instead the tension mounts and mounts until finally he storms out of the room without another word.

I stare at the closed door for several minutes before heading back to my room to pack a bag and get the hell out of this place.

….

I walk into Drake's house without knocking. Felix is stretched out on the couch, watching some cooking show with a perplexed expression. Meanwhile, Drake is nowhere in sight.

With a sigh I throw my bag onto the ground and plop down onto the couch, next to Felix's feet. With another huff I push his legs off the couch, giving myself more room. "What's wrong with you?" He asks, sitting up and turning down the volume on the TV.

"My father is a hypocrite! That's what's wrong." I growl, crossing my arms over my chest. I stare moodily at the quiet TV for several minutes until finally I look over to see Felix raising an eyebrow, silently asking for an explanation. I throw my arms into the air and then launch into the retelling of what happened back at my room at Granny's Inn.

By the time I finish Felix releases a low whistle. "You killed Nurse Ratched?"

I don't even answer him as I continue to rant. "I just can't get over how big of a hypocrite my father is! He has done unspeakable things as a villain and then the moment I do something, out of loyalty to someone who is practically a family member to me, he decides he's suddenly better than me? That he has the _right_ to judge me for being what I am? A villain?! Seriously?"

The front door opens and Drake walks in, carrying several plastic bags full of groceries. At first he smiles when he sees me but he instantly recognizes the sour look on my face and when he notices my bag on the floor his smile drops. "What's wrong?"

"Ugh!" Is all I can say, my anger getting the best of me. Thankfully, Felix explains the story to Drake for me.

"Why am I not surprised that you went back to kill Nurse Ratched?" Drake smirks. "I could see the murderous look in your eye the moment you found out what she had done to your mate."

"She's lucky I killed her so quickly. I was kind of running short on time." I mutter, glaring at my lap.

"So, what are we going to do now? I can't imagine any of the heroes being so nice once they've learned it was you who killed the nurse and freed their enemy." Drake asks. "What's the plan, Captain?"

I open my mouth to reply but find no response comes. I want to come up with the brave idea that will solve all our problems but I have so many enemies, closing in from all sides that it's hard to make a decision on who to face first. I almost want to give in and go back home to Neverland, forget everyone and everything here, but I can't leave Henry the way he is. I also won't be safe in Neverland until I deal with Joseph and his crew.

Suddenly my phone starts to ring, it's loud and causes me to jump as I scramble to pull it out of my pocket. I'm expecting to see Emma's name or maybe even my father's name on caller ID but instead I see Nova written across it in bright, block lettering. I sigh heavily and silence the phone call, shoving my phone back into my pocket.

"Who was that?" Drake asks, nodding at my phone that barely fits into my back pocket.

"Nova. I can't deal with her yelling at me for breaking up with Zach right now." I sigh heavily and moments later my phone starts to ring again, Nova's name flashing across the screen again. I silence the phone and place it on the table.

"Zach? Who the hell is Zach? How did you date someone and Pan didn't kill him?" Felix asks, eyes wide with surprise. I almost laugh at his shocked reaction. It truly is a weird thought that I managed to date someone, even without my memories, and he's still alive.

"He was a guy I dated back in New York. I recently broke up with him and Nova, being both of our best friends is probably calling to give me shit and then force us to get back together." Even though my phone is silenced I can see it light up with Nova's name again. _Damn, this girl is persistent._

"Ok, you really need to explain to me everything that happened in the past year." Felix shouts, looking annoyed that he knows much less than he originally thought. I suppose being locked up in a psych ward for a year while the world moves on around you will do that to a person.

I open my mouth to reply when once again, my phone lights up with Nova's name. "Oh my God! She's never going to stop. Hold on, I'm going to tell her I really can't talk right now." I pick up the phone and press it to my ear, my temper flaring. "What?"

"Whoa, Miss Grumpy." Nova replies, sounding equally annoyed. "I'm calling to tell you that since you refuse to answer any of mine or Zach's calls to give us a reason as to why you broke up with his kind soul… We've come to you, demanding answers. We're heading to some place called Granny's diner. Meet us there?"

Confusion races through me. "Uh… What? You can't be in Storybrooke?" My words sound more like a question and it piques the interest of the two boys standing before me.

"Um, yes we can. Walsh was leaving New York to come meet Emma here, and asked if we wanted to come along since he knows we haven't seen each other in forever. Obviously we haven't spoken in forever either since I didn't even know Walsh and Emma got back together!" Nova almost sounds like her usual light and bubbly self, if a little bit annoyed with me for being such a terrible friend. But there's some underlying emotion that I can't quite detect that's making her voice sound more shrill than usual.

My confusion deepens as I stare wonderingly at Drake and Felix. "What do you mean Walsh brought you to Storybrooke? How did Walsh get into Storybrooke?"

"You're not the queen of this town, Karina. You don't get to control who comes in and out of this town." _No, but the magical barrier Rumplestiltskin put up last year certainly does._ "So are you going to come meet us or what? Walsh even said he would love to see you!"

"Um… Sure…" I reply uneasily. My mind is racing as I try to imagine every possibility as to how three normal humans could've gotten past the Dark One's cloaking spell. This entire situation seems off and that worries me.

"Great! See you soon." Nova sounds excited but I can also hear uneasiness in her tone.

Slowly, I lower my phone from my ear and drop into my lap. I feel frozen in place as I stare off into nothingness. "Captain? Are you alright?" Drake asks worriedly.

Instead of answering his question I jump up from the couch, dropping my phone onto the floor. "Peter? Peter! Get your butt in here now!" I shout, my tone becoming more high pitched than usual as panic starts to consume me. My very innocent, very naïve friends from New York can't possibly be here. They'll get themselves killed! And what is Walsh doing here? I don't know how Emma ended things with him to come here, but she must have.

"You know, if you want me to come faster you can at least scream my name with a little bit more pleasure added to it?" Peter smirks and I roll my eyes at the double innuendo.

"I don't have time for your flirting. How are three normal people from New York here in Storybrooke? Shouldn't the Dark One's cloaking spell have kept them from ever finding this place?" I know Drake and Felix are reacting to my words but I can't look at them as I focus solely on Peter.

"After my curse hit last year that cloaking spell was torn down. The town was gone so the spell just dissipated into thin air. The only thing guarding people from going in and out of this town right now are the flying monkeys controlled by the Wicked Witch." Peter furrows his brows. "Who's here?"

"Nova, Zach and Walsh. Nova just called me. She wants me to meet them at Granny's diner…" I slowly trail off as I see Peter's eyes get wider and wider with panic. That can't be a good sign.

"Walsh is one of the Wicked Witch's flying monkeys." Peter explains.

"What?!" I shriek. "No! That's not possible. He was dating Emma in New York. He seemed like a normal guy. I thought it was impossible to do magic outside of Storybrooke? Isn't this supposed to be the land without magic? What is even happening?" I know I'm rambling, but I can't help it. My world is spinning around me faster and faster as I realize that the guy who almost married Emma is actually a freaking _monkey_ and that he's holding my ex-boyfriend and best friend hostage!

"This must be a trap for Karina then. The Wicked Witch is trying to lure her in by holding people she cares about." Drake mutters and Peter shoots him a dry look.

"Obviously." He turns back to me. "You're not going."

"What? Of course I am! Are you insane? I'm not going to let my friends get killed by a freaking story book character simply because you're overprotective. I thought we already established that I can take care of myself?" I nod at my knee-high boots which we both know are currently concealing my daggers.

"You really think your daggers are going to fair well against a flying, magical monkey?" Peter asks skeptically. "I will not let you go alone and Felix and I can't show our faces in town. I would rather watch your friends die than you. Especially the boy."

"Fine, Drake will come with me. He can be seen in town and he knows how to fight. Besides, we'll be in a very public diner with plenty of other people. One of those people will be Granny and heaven help any flying monkey that messes with Granny's business." I smile proudly for managing to conceive such a compelling argument.

Peter rolls his eyes. "I don't care if you have one hundred Granny's backing you up. You're. Not. Going."

"Yes. I. Am." I snarl and spin around, stomping towards the door. In seconds, Peter appears before me and I shriek angrily, reaching out to slap him. Surprisingly, he doesn't grab my wrist to stop me like he usually does and my hand connects with his cheek, knocking his head to the side.

Slowly, he turns back to face me, his dark green eyes even darker with quiet rage as he slowly advances on me, backing me up to the wall. He speaks in a deadly calm voice, "Do you really think I'm going to let you walk into a trap simply to save two people who mean absolutely nothing to me? How many times do I have to explain to you, Karina Jones, that you are more important to me than anyone else in any of the realms? I will gladly let people die if it means you live. You can slap me all you want, you can even hate me, but you'll still be alive so I don't care if you hate me."

With my back pressed against the wall and Peter looming over me I feel tiny in comparison. Despite feeling small standing beneath him I straighten my back and push on his chest. "You may have this strong urge to protect me, but I have a strong urge to protect my friends. I'm not going to leave them hostages of a flying freaking monkey. So I'm going and Drake is coming with me. End of story."

Peter throws his head back and glares at the ceiling. The room stays quiet as he seems to contemplate my words. None of us dare say a word as Peter continues to stand before me, his entire body rigid with annoyance. "Fine. But I'll be following you and if I see anything I don't like I'll be storming the diner. If I let the heroes know I'm alive again, so be it. I'd rather that than find out you got yourself killed."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." I mutter sarcastically. I try to get by him when he grabs my wrist and pulls me back to him. He cups my face and leans down, roughly pressing his lips to mine. We kiss for several minutes, making both Drake and Felix uncomfortable. By the time I finally push Peter away we're both breathing heavily.

"Don't you dare get yourself killed. Otherwise I'll bring you back and kill you myself." Peter whispers.

I smirk and don't reply as I turn to Drake and say, "Let's go."

Drake nods his head and moves to his hall closet, reaching inside to pull out his sword. When he turns around to see me giving him a 'seriously?' look, he asks rather innocently, "What?"

"You're going to bring your sword to meet with people who have no idea what magic lies in this realm?"

"And a flying monkey!" Drake exclaims but I continue to stare at him until he finally gets the hint and puts the sword back. Instead chooses a thin dagger, which he shoves in his waistband and covers with his shirt.

"Better."

"Put the groceries away for me, would you, mate?" Drake asks Felix with a cocky grin.

"Sure, and I'll make sure I spit on it all too." Felix growls as he picks up the bags Drake had previously left sitting on the ground.

"Oh, don't tease me." Drake winks and for a moment Felix seems shocked by Drake's response.

Having enough of Drake teasing Felix I grab his arm and drag him out the door. "Have you two been like this since I left last night?"

"Worse, actually." Drake's grin is wild and carefree, it makes it impossible for me not to laugh. "It will be interesting having you in the mix now, too."

"How did you know I wanted to stay here?" I ask, though I already know the answer. Drake is observant. He would've seen my bag, heard the story of my argument with my father and drawn his own conclusions.

"I saw your bag." He confirms. "It'll be good to have you away from Emma Swan. Once she finds out you know who you are and what you've recently done, she'll probably try to mount your head on a spike. You'll be safer with me."

"Yea, we'll see about that." I mutter. _If Emma really wants to have it out with me she'll find me no matter where I go and then a fight will inevitably ensue._

….

Drake and I arrive at Granny's diner and it doesn't take me long to spot my two friends and Walsh sitting in a corner booth. Everyone else in the diner are openly staring at the trio as they drink cups of hot chocolate and wait for me to arrive. I can see that both Nova and Zach look uncomfortable as Nova sits next to the window and Walsh blocks her in.

I realize that the only way Walsh is keeping Zach from running away is keeping Nova, the obvious weaker runner pinned down and away from any chance of escaping. I know for a fact that Zach would never leave Nova behind. Walsh must've picked up on their close relationship too over the past year.

We walk up to them and Zach immediately looks up, a nervous smile on his face that instantly falls the moment he sees Drake. I can see his gaze wander up and down my first mate and then his gaze flickers to me as though he's trying to guess the relationship between us.

"Ah, Karina! So nice of you to join us. And you brought a friend." Walsh smiles brightly at the two of us, but I can practically hear the malice in his tone that he's trying so desperately to hide.

I take a seat next to Zach as Drake grabs a chair from another table and swings it around so he's sitting on it backwards with his arms resting on the back of the chair. "So, what are you guys doing here?" I decide it's best to cut straight to business.

"Well, we came to visit you, Emma and Henry!" Walsh's eyes go wide and I roll my eyes, already sick of this monkey's show.

My eyes narrow as I say, "I'm surprised you'd reach out to me first. I spoke to Emma and Henry and neither of them even knew you were in town." An obvious lie, but I'm trying to figure out what he really wants. I figured the Wicked Witch would've had him go after the saviour. She is he one who attracts the biggest and worst villains.

His innocent smile turns icy for a brief moment as he replies, "You were always my favourite, Karina."

"Was I?" I look at Drake and roll my eyes. Then I see Nova shift uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye and I turn my attention in her direction. I notice she's glancing nervously between Walsh and myself. She looks incredibly uncomfortable and Zach seems to be feeling the same.

"You were… But I must admit, I am here for slightly different reasons than I let on. I suppose by now you've already figured that out." He rests his hands on the table as he fiddles with a napkin. "There's no point putting up anymore false pretenses. Your friends aren't very good actors even though I threatened them with their lives. I suppose I'll have to kill them… After I've killed you of course." His eyes flicker up to mine as Nova starts to cry softly.

Drake pushes off from the table and stands up to his full 6'3'' height, looking dark and imposing as he towers over the table. "If you want to kill my captain, you'll have to go through me first." I raise my hand to warn Drake to stay put until I command otherwise.

I turn my attention back to Walsh. "Now why do you want to kill me?"

"Because my queen demands it." He replies simply, a dark grin twisting his face. "It seems that she really wants your head on a spike and I must give her everything that she asks for."

"Well, how about you give your queen a message for me?" Before he can respond I pull my dagger out of my boot in one swift movement and stab his left hand, right through until the tip of my blade pierces the table. Blood spills from the wound and Walsh cries out in agony as other patrons of the diner run away in fear.

"You bitch!" He shouts, staring at his hand in complete shock. Next to us, Nova and Zach are screaming too as they see their friend that they've known only a year do something unspeakable right before their very eyes.

Slowly, I twist the dagger around and around in his hand. "Tell your queen if she wants me so bad, maybe she should come get me herself. Or better yet, tell Joseph to stop hiding behind the Wicked Witch's skirt. Because I'm back and I'm ready to kick some ass."

 **A/N:** I'm not too fond of this chapter. I suppose it's because I used this chapter as more of a filler to get the ball rolling on future events in the story. I had this chapter ready yesterday but I wanted to take an extra day before I posted it to read over it a few times and see if I could make any changes to make me like this chapter more… Didn't work. I don't know why. Hopefully you all like it more than me. I'll try and update a better chapter in a few days, one that has more happening in it as well.

Please take a moment to review!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Thirteen ~**

Horrified screams fill the diner as chairs are scraped against the floors and some are even knocked over as many of the diner's patrons try to escape the sudden violence. Walsh's own screams join the mix as I continue to twist the dagger around and around.

Walsh tries to grab my arm with his good hand but he's in so much pain that he can't seem to find the strength to push me away. My smile is full of malice as I watch the pain twist his features.

Upon hearing all the screaming Granny comes running in from the kitchen, her crossbow ready. She looks around for the threat, her dark eyes narrowed behind her small glasses. Her eyes go wide when she sees me with my dagger in a strange man's hand. "Karina! Let him go!"

"No." I say simply, keeping my eyes on Walsh. "Listen here, Walsh… You tell the Wicked Witch that she needs to leave me and my friends the hell alone. I don't want to play whatever game she has in mind. But until she gets the hint I'm going to cut the wings off each and every one of her precious little flying monkeys until she realizes not to mess with me. Understand?"

"YES!" He shouts, as he tightly grips his wrist. "Now let me go!"

"Oh, and one more thing? If I see your face again, monkey or otherwise, I'll have to continue this fun little game of ours… Only next time you won't make it out alive." My smile has turned from deadly to sickly sweet, and perhaps that means I'm even more dangerous.

Finally, I pull back the dagger and Walsh wastes no time jumping up from the table. He pushes past Drake, barely managing to stumble out the front door before he shifts into a flying monkey and flies off with a desperate cry.

"Well done, Captain." Drake smirks, patting my shoulder. "What should we do with these two?"

I grimace as I slowly turn to face my friends. I almost forgot all about them as I threatened Walsh. They had stopped screaming at some point and now as I turn to look at them they seem to be frozen in fear or horror… Probably both. Nova seems to be whimpering as she cowers against the wall and Zach looks numb as he stares at the blood on the table.

"They'll come with us and we'll take them back to your place." I say. "Alright, you two. Let's go." I nod my head to the door and by some miracle they both stand up and follow me to the door. I was expecting arguing or screaming or maybe even hysterically crying. I suppose all of that will come later when they aren't so numb to what they just witnessed.

As I'm about to reach the door Granny steps into my path. I brace myself for an argument of her yelling at me for keeping my memories being back a secret and me having to defend myself. Instead, tears well up in Granny's eyes and she pulls me in for a hug. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're back and remember me… Though I really could've done without you stabbing a flying monkey in my diner."

"Sorry." I smile, but we both know I don't mean it.

"You know I'll have to tell Emma about this… Before she hears it from anyone else." Granny places her hands on her hips and looks sternly at the four of us.

"I would expect nothing less… It's ok, I'm sure my dad already told her I've got my memories back and after this little show," I gesture around the diner. "I'm sure she'll be knocking down my door any minute."

"So I know that guy that you stabbed was a flying monkey working for the Wicked Witch, but who are these two?" Granny nods at Nova and Zach. The two seem to still be in shock as they hold on tightly to one another.

"Friends from New York." I frown. "Though I'm sure after today they'll never want to see me or this town again."

"Probably a good idea." Granny pats my arm and moves out of my way so that the four of us can pass. "Drake." She nods respectfully at my first mate and he respectfully bows before following me outside.

"So we're taking these two back to my place and then what? We can't send them back to New York. Who knows what they've seen or heard and who they'll tell." Drake asks. He doesn't bother to whisper or hide the fact that he's talking about them. "But the longer they stay here, the more they'll be in danger… But sending them off may not protect them either."

"That's why I'm hoping Peter will be able to help. I'm sure he witnessed the whole thing and I'm sure he's just _dying_ to help more people he doesn't care about." I mutter sarcastically, a smirk stretching my lips back.

"He'll do it because he cares about you." Drake replies and I smile faintly.

We continue to Drake's place in silence. Zach and Nova don't say a word and neither Drake nor I push them to talk either.

When we arrive both Felix and Peter are already standing around in the living room talking quietly to one another. Upon our entrance, they abruptly stop talking and turn to face us. "Sit there." I order Zach and Nova as I point at the couch. Slowly, the two of them shuffle over to the couch, their faces blank as they take a seat.

Facing Peter and Felix I see they're both grinning at me and I know that Peter already filled Felix in on recent events. "Karina… I'm proud of you." Felix chuckles.

"Yes, because stabbing a flying monkey in the hand makes me the number one badass in this town." I reply sarcastically as I cross my arms over my chest.

"It kind of does." Drake says, grinning widely which causes me to roll my eyes.

I notice Peter eyeing Zach and I can see the jealousy already forming. I step in front of Zach, blocking Peter's view of him. He blinks a few times, like he's coming back to reality, as he lifts his gaze to meet mine. Slowly, a twisted grin turns up the corners of his mouth as the jealousy runs rampant in his gaze.

"Peter…" I say sharply, my warning clear. Unfortunately, Peter Pan is a severely jealous boy and doesn't take orders very well.

He gently brushes me aside as he stalks towards Zach. He leans down in front him, placing his hands on his knees as he grins darkly at him. Zach seems shocked to see this strange boy standing before him and smiling at him the way he is.

"You must be Zach." Peter says charmingly. He sticks out his hand for Zach to shake. "I'm Peter."

Looking unsure Zach slowly reaches out his hand and places it in Peter's. Seconds have barely passed by when suddenly Zach shouts in agony as he tries to pull his hand away from Peter. Meanwhile, Peter is holding onto Zach's hand so tightly his knuckles have turned white. He watches Zach's face twist in pain with wild eyes and an insane grin.

"Peter, let him go!" I shout and run up to him, grabbing his wrist and jerking him away. Zach backs up into the couch, cradling his hand to his chest. I see his palm is covered in red, angry blisters. "What did you do?"

"I just made my hand a little bit hot to the touch…" Peter smiles innocently as I narrow my eyes. "I had to teach him a lesson for touching what's mine. He's lucky I only burned one hand."

"I was with him when I didn't have my memories and it's not like he knew who you are! Or that you and I were ever together! You can't just burn the hands of any guy that touches me. That's ridiculous." I throw my hands in the air, growing angrier by the second. Out of the corner of my eye I see Nova looking at me questioningly but I don't acknowledge her.

"That doesn't matter and yes I absolutely can burn anyone who dares touch you." Peter simply shrugs his shoulders. "And that includes you." He points his finger at Drake who raises his hands in defense.

"I'll go get ice." Drake says to me, probably eager to leave the room after Peter's threat. He pats Zach on the shoulder as he passes him. Nova tries to comfort Zach but he seems to be in so much pain he barely notices it.

Peter watches Drake leave the room, a satisfied smirk on his face. Clearly, he's happy with himself for scaring Drake enough to make him retreat from the room. "Besides, Zach looks like a… Moderately intelligent fellow. He should've known a girl as beautiful as you would've had someone in your life already."

"Y-You cheated on me?" Zach chokes through his pain.

"Technically, she cheated on _me_ with _you_ mate. Sorry." Peter grins viciously, patting him on the back. Zach flinches away from his touch.

"I didn't technically cheat on anyone! I thought you were dead." I growl. I knew dating someone else, even when I didn't have my memories, would come back to bite me. With Peter, every mistake I make always does.

"Well, that's not entirely true, either. You hadn't broken things off with Zach yet when you and I… Fucked." Peter smirks and I swear, I would strangle him if I could manage it.

"What?" This time, both Nova and Zach stare at me with wide eyes.

"I _just_ got my memories back then, ok? And I found out you're alive after watching you die a year ago. Excuse me for being a little nostalgic." I cross my arms over my chest and release a heavy sigh.

Peter raises his hands in defense. "I'm not judging… I just want to make it very clear to young Zachary here what kind of person you are." I narrow my eyes and Peter's smile grows impossibly bigger. "You're just like me. You're a terrible person and that's exactly why we're together."

Drake comes back into the room with an ice pack wrapped in a towel. He hands it to Zach who immediately presses it to his palm and wraps his fingers around it. Now that the pain is being managed he slowly gets up and walks towards me until we're standing face to face. "You cold-hearted bitch." He says, his tone cold.

If anyone else had said that to me I probably would've rolled my eyes or maybe even thanked them. But for some reason Zach saying these words to me hurts more than I thought. I suppose he was a big part of my life for that year and even though I never had the feelings for him that he wanted, he was a sweet guy who doesn't deserve someone like me.

"I'm sorry, Zach." I whisper because it's all I can think to say. I know it probably doesn't mean anything to him, but I need to say it anyways.

Zach shakes his head and rolls his eyes, looking away from me. Then, with faster reflexes than I've ever seen him, he turns and swings the ice pack, bashing Peter over the head with it. I scream and place my hands over my mouth as blood pours down the side of Peter's head.

Slowly, Peter turns his head, fury etched across his face. He starts walking towards Zach, who's now backing up after seeing the terrifying anger Peter is currently displaying. "Well, Zachary, looks like you just ruined the game. And do you know what I do to people who ruin my games?" He doesn't need to say it and Zach doesn't either. The threat already hangs in the air: _kill them_.

"Whoa, hey, why don't we bring it down a notch?" Drake asks as he and Felix intercede at the exact same time. Their shoulders bump together and while Felix immediately jerks away, Drake smirks.

"Get out of my way." Peter snarls and with a flick of his wrist sends the two boys flying into the wall, landing in a pile on the floor. Nova screams when she realizes Peter didn't even touch either boy.

"What are you?" Zach asks, looking horrified.

"You're worst nightmare." Peter smirks and grabs a fistful of Zach's shirt, dragging him forward.

"Peter, stop!" I shout and shove myself between the two boys. "He only hit you because he's upset that you and I are together again. So, guess what? That means you've won! You won the game. You have me and he doesn't, so leave him alone." When Peter is this angry the best way to get to him is to tell him exactly what he wants to hear. This whole thing started because Peter wanted to prove that I'm his and not Zach's.

Peter stares over my shoulder at Zach, his fury slowly disappearing, replaced by his possessiveness. I feel him wrap his arms around my waist and he pulls me towards him until my body is flush against his. Then he grabs my chin forcefully pulling my face up to his and crashing his lips to mine. He bites my lip, so hard that I feel like he's drawn blood and then pulls away.

"Don't worry, you won't have your memories of any of us for much longer. But at least you'll have to feel this pain until I bring you the potion to take away your memories… Funny how that works… I gave you this pain and I'll be the one to take it away." Peter smirks as I turn to study Zach's reaction. He won't even look at me and I suppose that's for the best.

Nova leads him back to the couch, glaring daggers at me. I always knew whenever Zach and I broke up I would lose Nova as a friend. Zach is practically like a brother to her. But a year ago I didn't think it would end this badly between the three of us.

"How long until you have the potion to take away their memories?" I ask Peter quietly. I have to remind myself that no matter how much Peter and I care for each other he will always be manipulative and possessive. And I'll always be the girl who puts up with it because of the love I have for him. Because we're both messed up and that's why we work.

"Soon." He brushes my hair behind my ear. "It'll be a very specific potion if it's going to take out certain bits of the last year but leave the rest. It might take me a while."

"Then I'll go deal with Joseph while you make the potion. I want to send Nova and Zach back to New York without their memories, but they won't ever be truly safe until my enemies are dead." I dread facing Joseph. Not because I worry I won't be able to beat him, because I know I can. But because facing him and my old crew will mean bringing up the past. While I've learned to face a lot about my past recently, I'm not sure I'm ready to face the part of me where I was the evillest I've ever been.

"What are you going to do with them?" Peter nods at Nova and Zach.

"Felix will stay here and watch them while Drake and I deal with Joseph." I reply, shrugging.

"No, take Felix too. Drop these two off with Emma or someone else in town who can babysit." Peter says immediately and his tone leaves no room for argument.

Of course, me being me, I argue anyways. "Why? I'm not going to Emma with this problem. Going to Emma means also going to my dad and I practically declared war on him last time I saw him. I'm not eating my words."

"I still don't trust Drake. Take Felix or don't go at all! Because I really don't care if these two are killed in New York by Joseph, a flying monkey, or the Wicked Witch herself! Last thing either of us want is for you to face Joseph and then have your only supporter to turn on you. If you get yourself killed I'll bring you back just to kill you again myself." Peter seems to be trying hard to reign in his temper.

"How many times do I have to tell you that Drake can be trusted? I've known him a very long time and I saved his life a long time ago. For that, he's given me his life. He's had my back many times." I want to hit something. It frustrates me that Peter doesn't trust my judgement enough.

"That was before you abandoned your crew after the first curse. You don't know what he's been up to since the last time you two sailed the seas together. Bring Felix." Peter crosses his arms over his chest, clearly he thinks the argument is over.

"And Felix has orders to kill Drake if he steps out of line?" I ask, though I already know the answer.

"Of course." Peter simply shrugs and I growl under my breath. "I'll see you soon." With the blink of an eye Peter is gone. Zach and Nova are now staring at the place he was just standing with wide eyes.

I don't say anything to them as I walk over to Drake and Felix who are still lying on the ground, unconscious. "Useless." I say and shake my head as I inspect them with my hands on my hips. I lean down and start smacking their faces in an attempt to wake them up.

They both awaken with a jolt and a cry. "Where's Pan?!" Drake shouts, looking around. His eyes settle on Zach who is clearly still alive and mostly unharmed and he starts to look confused. Drake looks at me, a question in his eyes.

"I dealt with Peter, no thanks to you guys." I mutter tiredly.

"Oh…" Felix blinks several times, looking like he's trying hard to clear his vision.

"C'mon, get up. We have to take Zach and Nova to Emma and then we're going to go kill people." I slap my knees, jarring the two boys even more.

"Who are we killing?" Felix asks.

Drake gets to his feet first and reaches down, grabbing Felix's arm and dragging him to his feet. Felix immediately jerks away, glaring at him. Drake smirks and then playfully rolls his eyes at me. Felix seems even more annoyed than he usually is as he glares daggers at Drake.

"My enemies, of course." I reply simply. "Now let's go!"

….

Drake and I are at the front of the group with Zach and Nova in the middle and Felix trailing behind as we lead the way through town to the sheriff's station. I figure it's our best option to find Emma quickly.

"So… Felix, huh?" I ask nonchalantly, trying to hide my smile.

A slow smirk stretches across Drake's face as he looks at me. "What?" He tries to sound innocent but his grin gives him away.

"You're torturing him." I reply, smiling wide myself.

Drake splays his hand over his chest and looks offended. "I am not!"

"Mhm." I reply sarcastically. As long as I've known Drake he's loved having fun. Whether that fun was with a girl or a boy he didn't care and it looks like Felix has caught his eye. He would certainly have a challenge ahead of him because the only fun I've ever seen Felix having is when he's torturing and maiming.

"I haven't heard him mention anyone… Do you know what team he plays for?" Drake asks, his smile growing even more as he glances back at Felix who is too far away to hear what we're discussing.

"I've never seen Felix with anyone and as far as I know the only person he loves is… Well, himself." I shrug my shoulders.

"Hmm, well, I love a challenge." Drake smirks.

"I'm sure you do."

…

We arrive at the station. Felix wants to stay outside but I tell him it's probably best that he joins us. We walk into the station and Emma is there with my father and her parents.

"Hey there." I smirk, eyeing the four of them. I can tell by the looks on their faces that they know I have my memories back. Now, whether they know because my father told them or because they heard about the incident at Granny's is beyond me.

"Karina…" Emma says and as soon as her eyes land on Felix her mouth forms into a tight line. "So, you're the mystery person who set Felix free."

"Oh, guilty." I raise my hands in the air.

"Did you kill the nurse, too?" David asks, looking stern. I turn to look at my father and he shakes his head.

"You didn't tell them." I say softly. "I figured you would've." The fact that my father didn't tell them even after our argument surprises me but also makes me very happy.

"No, I didn't. You are my daughter and I gave you my word that your secret would be safe with me." My father replies and then immediately cringes when Emma and her parents turn their accusatory looks to him.

"You knew she had her memories back and killed the nurse? And you didn't tell me?!" Emma gasps, looking genuinely hurt. My father opens his mouth to explain but she raises her hand, effectively silencing whatever response he may have had. "We'll talk about it later."

"Karina, why did you kill the nurse?" Mary Margaret asks, pleading with me to give them some explanation that they can agree with.

"Because she tortured Felix." I reply easily. I don't bother telling them that Regina will be next. It'll be much better if it's a surprise. "She deserved what she got."

"Karina, what you did… I can't let you get away with it. This is a town that I'm the sheriff of. There are laws. People expect me to hold the person who did it responsible." Emma shakes her head. "I've grown to care about you a lot in the past year, but even I can't save you from this."

"Then don't!" I throw my hands in the air. "There's no evidence… I made sure of that. Not to mention, it's your word against mine. You have no way to charge me for the crime."

"Karina… What happened to you?" Emma shakes her head. "You were never this bad a year ago. You were a _good person_ a year ago."

"Actually, I wasn't. I'm a pirate, Emma. Last year our interests were aligned… But when Peter died so did our aligned interests. I realized then that I can't trust any of you. Because even if I bend over backwards for you, helping you and fighting for you, you'll still screw me over in the end. So what's the point? You two," I point at Mary Margaret and David, "Were ok with Felix rotting away in the psychiatric ward, knowing how much he means to me. And don't even try to deny it."

"Then what are you even doing here?" David asks. "Surely you're not here just to tell us how much you don't trust us anymore."

"No, actually. I came here on business." I gesture to Nova and Zach. "I need you to watch these two until I can return them to New York. I have more people I need to kill and I can't have them around when I'm doing it."

"What are they doing here?" Emma asks, instantly recognizing them. "How did they get into town?"

"Funny story, actually… Walsh brought them. But don't worry, I stabbed him in the hand and he turned back into a monster. So at least you don't have to worry about his pretty face fooling you anymore." I smile coldly. "I'm going to bring them back to New York, but I need to deal with the threat on their lives first."

"Why would you bring them to us if you don't trust us anymore?" Mary Margaret asks, narrowing her eyes at me.

"Because I may not trust you, but you're still heroes. You won't let two innocent people, who have no part of this world, die. I know you'll keep them alive while I deal with the problem." I jerk my thumb over my shoulder, pointing at the two people in question.

"Why did Walsh even bring them to town? What do they have to do with any of this?" Emma asks, looking confused.

"They were my friends." I don't bother referring to them in the present tense because I know that relationship has long passed. "My enemies wanted to use them against me. Now I'm going to deal with them."

"Who are your enemies?" David asks.

"My old crew." I reply bluntly and the three members of the Charming family seem surprised to hear this. However, my father looks nervous. "So, will you watch these two while I deal with the real problem in this town?"

"Yes." Emma replies after looking at her parents for a moment. "But you and I are going to need to discuss Nurse Ratched's death."

I blink several times before replying, "There's nothing to discuss." I nod at Zach and Nova who slowly walk towards Emma and her parents, looking nervous. "Let's go." I say to Drake and Felix.

"Karina, wait." My father walks towards me. "Please, if you're going to fight Joseph, let me come with you." I open my mouth to protest when he pleads, "Please. Let me protect you, just this once."

I look at Drake and then at Felix. Both of them shrug their shoulders. Each of them telling me that it's my decision. "Ok… You can come. But don't be shocked by what you're about to witness." Because in order to beat Joseph I'm going to have to go dark… Very dark.

 **A/N:** Please take a moment to review!


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Fourteen ~**

We arrive at the Rabbit Hole, Storybrooke's local bar, shortly after leaving the sheriff's station. The sun has started to sink beneath the horizon line and because of this the attendants of the bar have decided to turn up the music to chase away the last bits of light. The heavy bass of the music thunders through my chest as I walk into the dimly lit bar, looking around at everyone inside. Drake, Felix and my father flanking me on either side, their presence behind me giving our group an intimidating feeling. Some people enjoying their drinks at the tables closest to the doors stop and stare at us, jaws agape.

I smile darkly as I see my target sitting at the bar, hunched over a shot glass of rum. I beckon the three men behind me forward as I cross the dance floor, my boots clicking ominously on the wooden floor. As we proceed through the bar other people stop what they're doing and turn to stare, their instincts warning them of upcoming danger.

Drake separates from the rest of us as he wordlessly lumbers towards the juke box that is blaring the music. He cuts off the music and no one dares protest, his large and intimidating size stopping any objections that might occur. His expression is serious, any earlier joking of him pursuing Felix is long gone from his features. He has shifted from being my friend to my first mate, and my most terrifying crew member.

I slide onto a red bar stool as my father takes the one next to me and Felix stands directly behind the man I've come to see. I study my old crew member curiously, not saying a word. He doesn't seem to have noticed me yet, otherwise he would've tried to run out the door by now. He looks the exact same as the last time I saw him. His salt and pepper coloured hair is long and greasy, as is his long, curly beard. He's wearing a black cap, pulled low to cover his ears. He's dressed in modern clothes, supposedly to fit in with the rest of Storybrooke's occupants, but his clothes look like they've been ripped to shreds and sewn back together very haphazardly. His long, slender fingers are covered in dirt and grime as he clutches the shot glass.

"Hello, Mervyn." I say slowly, relishing in his startled reaction. His eyes lift to meet mine and I see the briefest flicker of terror cross them before a forced arrogance takes its place.

"What are you doing here, _Karina_?" He says my name like it's an insult. Which, in this situation, it kind of is. Mervyn was the lowest member of my crew many years ago. He practically begged to join my crew and the only reason I let him was because we needed someone to do the dirty work the rest of us didn't want to do. Now, he's addressing me by my name instead of Captain Jones. On my ship if he had addressed me by my first name I would've had him thrown overboard and he knew it. Now he's insulting me by refusing to acknowledge the title that is rightfully mine.

"Why, I'm looking for you, Mervyn." I blink several times, looking and sounding innocent but we both know I'm anything but.

"Well, you can piss right off. I have nothing to say to you." He replies gruffly. With a loud huff he turns back to face the bar, his expression stony. I can tell he's trying very hard not to appear afraid but his heavy breathing and tight grip on his glass gives him away.

"Oh, but Mervyn, we have so much catching up to do!" I exclaim and place my chin on my hand as I pout. Mervyn rolls his eyes and downs the rum as he gets out of his seat. He turns and walks right into Felix. The two stare each other down until Mervyn pushes his way past, shoving Felix roughly aside. Felix watches him for a moment or two and then turns to look at me. I nod and that's all Felix needs before he storms after Mervyn, grabbing his shoulders and yanking him backwards.

Mervyn falls to the ground but quickly scrambles to his feet, teeth bared as he runs at Felix. Screams can be heard from the other attendants of the bar as they witness the fight breaking out. Meanwhile, Felix simply looks amused as he side steps Mervyn and then hits him at the base of his skull, sending Mervyn crashing to the floor again. Now Drake walks over as Mervyn groans on the ground and tries to push himself up. His effort is useless, however, as Drake steps on his back and pushes him back down.

"Now, now, mate. The captain said she wants to catch up. Running away is a bit rude, don't you think?" Drake taunts, a wicked grin stretching across his face. He and Felix share the same evil look as they rejoice in their mutual torment of another man.

Stretching leisurely I take my sweet time getting off the bar stool. I walk over to Mervyn and kneel next to him. "Now Mervyn," I try to put as much parental disapproval into my tone as I can manage. Considering I've had every adult in my life speak to me in this tone recently, replicating the sound is rather easy. "I want you to tell me exactly how Joseph managed to turn my entire crew against me… And then I want you to tell me where I can find Joseph."

"Fuck you." Mervyn tries to spit at me but instead it drips pitifully down his chin.

"Mervyn! I don't want to kill you, but my friend here… He kind of does." I gesture to Felix and he smirks. "You see, Felix hates a lot of things, but traitors? Oh man, he _really_ hates traitors."

"I'm not the one who is the traitor here." Mervyn growls. "You're the one who decided you don't care about the crew after the first curse was broken. _You're the one_ who gave up your claim to being the captain."

"Who said I gave up my claim? Why else would I be looking for Joseph?" Mervyn looks shocked and I lean forward until I whisper into his ear, "I'm going to rip him apart and then take back what's rightfully mine."

"Good luck with that." Mervyn snorts. "He's a lot more powerful than you remember him."

"What makes you think I haven't gotten stronger?" I place my hand over my chest and feign shock.

He snorts again. "Because you're a girl. Girls have no place being leaders."

My smile turns icy as I stand up and then in an instant I stomp the heel of my boot onto his wrist. Mervyn shouts and tries to move my foot to release the pressure but his crippled wrist that I can hear breaking under my boot leaves him seriously impaired. "I've always hated chauvinistic pigs like you, Mervyn."

Mervyn manages nothing in response but a choked whimper. "Why don't we just kill him already?" Felix asks, looking impatient.

"Because I need to find Joseph." I roll my eyes. "I'm guessing this weasel was elevated from his measly position as soon as Joseph took over my crew, as a means to say 'thank you' for betraying his true captain. So he knows where Joseph is, I'm sure of it."

"Like I'll tell you where he is." Mervyn snarls as I move my foot away and he cradles his arm to his chest.

"Oh, Mervyn, I was hoping you'd say that." I smile sickeningly sweet and then look at Drake, "Get him on the table." Drake grabs Mervyn by the throat and his good arm and drags him to one of the tables. He throws him onto it unceremoniously, knocking off the salt and pepper shakers and napkin dispenser.

I pull out my dagger and inspect the sharp edge when my father grabs my wrist, holding it tightly. "Karina, don't do this. Don't go down this road. Please."

I rip my arm away from him. "I warned you when you asked to come with me… It's too late for you to save me from the darkness. Now let me do what I have to. I'm not good, dad. I haven't been for a long time." My words seem to resonate with him because he slowly nods and backs away, looking sick.

Walking up to Mervyn I make sure I show him my dagger, which glints dangerously under the lights of the bar. "Last chance to tell me where Joseph is… Before this gets… Unpleasant."

"My loyalties lie with Joseph, they always have and always will." Mervyn rests his head down on the table, resigning to the torture he's about to endure. Truthfully, I'm surprised by his loyalty. I always thought of him as a weasel, someone who will sell out his own mother if a good enough deal came along. Seeing him so loyal to Joseph makes me briefly wonder what kind of captain he is before I shake the thought from my head.

Without another word I take my dagger and dig it into the base of his throat, dragging it down, cutting through his shirt and his skin as I cut all the way down to his belly button. Mervyn starts to scream and thrash against Felix and Drake who are holding him down.

"I'm calling the sheriff!" I hear the bartender shout and I turn my head to see him running to the phone. I pull out my other dagger, still tucked safely into my boot and throw it with deadly accuracy. The dagger soars through the air and then wedges itself into the bartender's hand just as he's reaching for the phone.

"Now, now. This is pirate business. No need to involve the sheriff." I smirk as the bartender cries painfully. Then I turn to my father and say, "Get everyone out of here." He nods his head and knowing that he'll take care of things I turn my attention back to Mervyn.

I remain silent as I continue to carve him up. The bar clears out and the only sound that can be heard is Mervyn's screaming and panting insults. "I'm going to kill you, you little bitch!" Mervyn screams. "Just wait until you don't have these two protecting you. I'll rip you to pieces. Not even Peter Pan will be able to put you back together so you can keep being his fuck buddy."

Felix grabs Mervyn by his hair and then slams his head into the table. "Watch your mouth." He growls.

"Felix, hold Mervyn's mouth open for me." I say calmly. All three look at me strangely. "Do it." I say, this time more forcefully.

Felix grabs Mervyn's jaw and then pinches his nose, forcing Mervyn to keep his mouth open. I place the tip of my dagger on his tongue. "Last chance… Or I'll cut your tongue out and then you won't be able to say anything anymore."

Mervyn glares at me but doesn't say anything. It's like he doesn't believe me? I smirk and add pressure to the dagger, immediately drawing blood. "Ok, ok!" Mervyn shouts, though his words are muffled. Both Felix and I pull away so that Mervyn can speak clearly. "He's hiding out on his ship, at the docks, cloaked by the Wicked Witch's magic."

"You mean my ship." I grumble. "So he's hiding like you did when you first got to Storybrooke." I say my father.

"It seems that he is." He replies. "Now that you have the information you need, what do you plan to do with him?"

Slowly, a dark grin stretches across my lips as I spin around and plunge my dagger into his heart. "That's for betraying me, you little weasel." Blood gushes from the wound, coating my hand. Slowly, the light fades from Mervyn's eyes until finally his heart stops and he lies dead on the bar table. Drake and Felix release his arms, looking unfazed by the murder they just witnessed. "Now then, let's go take back what's rightfully mine."

…

We arrive at the docks, the sun has set a long time ago and now only the moon and the stars light our path. Nothing seems out of the ordinary as small fishing boats are docked along the wooden platform, rocking gently on the waves. Crickets and frogs can be heard but not seen as they lie in wait, looking for signs of danger.

"Now, if you were a psychotic, thieving and cowardly pirate hiding on an invisible ship, where would you dock it?" Drake asks as he looks around, squinting into the darkness.

I notice at the end of the dock there aren't any boats and I point to it. "There." Drake and Felix set out towards it and my father sets out to follow them when I stop him, placing my hand on his chest. "Maybe you should go back to Emma."

"What? Why? I told you I want to help." My father seems genuinely surprised. "I want to protect you. You're about to face someone much worse than Mervyn."

"Exactly. Which is why I don't think it's a good idea that you come with us. I saw the look you gave me back at the bar when I tortured Mervyn. It scares you… The person that I've become. You used to be a villain too, but then you met Emma and that changed and that's ok. But you have to face it… You don't belong in this world anymore. Dealing with Joseph, I have to go even darker than I was when dealing with Mervyn. I don't think you want to see that part of me."

"You're still my daughter and I'm still your father. It doesn't matter if you go dark. You're still my child and I need to protect you. Because I'll kill anyone who hurts you. I can handle this. I promise." My father sounds convincing but I still get that nagging feeling that if he sees me dealing with Joseph our relationship will forever be changed.

"Papa…" I shake my head and he grabs my hand.

"Karina, I _have_ to do this. Please."

I close my eyes and release a shaky breath. "Fine. You can come."

He lifts my hand to his lips and kisses it. "Thank you, darling." I lead him down the dock where Drake already has his foot placed on the ladder, though because it's an invisible ladder it looks like he has his foot in the air.

"Captain?" He gestures towards the ladder.

I take a deep breathe and put my foot on the first step. "Get ready. I'm sure they already know we're here." With that, I climb up the ladder. The higher I climb the more distorted the world around me becomes and I know it's because I'm penetrating the invisibility spell. The moment I break through the spell the world slams back into focus and I have a moment to take in the sight of my ship before two sets of rough hands grab my arms and throw me down on the ground.

I land on the wooden deck with a loud thud. My chin hits the deck hard, jarring my teeth and my hips hurt as I land flat on my stomach. "Ow." I grumble as I slowly sit up, rubbing my chin. Seconds later Drake is thrown down beside me, followed by Felix and my father.

Once the four of us are huddled on the ground over a dozen swords point at us, one of the swords dangerously close to my throat. "Hello, Karina." Joseph smirks.

"Joseph." I reply evenly, staring straight into his eyes instead of giving him the satisfaction of eyeing his sword that hovers seconds from taking my life.

"Glad to see you finally got your memories back. That'll make this so much more interesting." His sword inches a little closer and I hear my father suck in a breath.

"Will it?" I know I shouldn't provoke him but it's impossible for me not to. "Because I heard you were so desperate to kill me before I got my memories back… Because you can't kill me otherwise. I'm just that good."

His eyes flash angrily and then I feel the cool tip of his sword under my chin. "Well, whoever fed you that information is lying."

"Hm, maybe… And yet, here we are, you have a sword to my throat with all your men surrounding us so that if things don't go your way you have back up… Are you afraid of a girl, Joseph?" I cock my head to the side and grin wildly. This time the blade draws blood and I feel it drip down my neck.

"I'm not afraid of anything." He snarls and then as if to prove his point he looks around at the others and gestures them back. "Get back! All of you. This fight is mine." He pulls the blade away from my throat and bows mockingly, "Well? Are you just going to sit there?"

I get up to feet, as does the others. Joseph zeroes in on Drake and his eyes narrow. "Hello, Joseph."

"Drake… My least favourite traitor." Joseph smiles, but his bared teeth are nothing but nasty as the two survey one another.

"Joseph, my least favourite usurper." Drake replies easily. He looks laidback as he watches Joseph slowly circle our group, but his eyes betray the laidback look he's striving for. I can tell he's on high alert, waiting for anyone to strike so he can fight back with lethal force.

"Usurper?" Joseph feigns hurt. "I only took what she didn't want… And I made it better." He starts to look cocky as he turns to face me.

"You got a crew of ungrateful, fickle pirates to join you and you call that making it better? What makes you think they won't turn their backs on you?" Felix asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry, and you are?" Joseph snarls, clearly not happy with Felix's words.

"Felix." He replies lowly.

"Oh, so you're the guy I used to hear so much about! Peter Pan's right-hand man… Interesting." Joseph smirks. He turns to my father, "And you would be?"

"Captain Hook." My father replies gruffly, glaring at Joseph.

"You're father?" Joseph snorts. "Well, Karina… I never thought you'd bring your daddy to your fight. But I guess that makes sense." I roll my eyes and ignore his bait. Joseph waits a moment and when he realizes I'm not going to rise to his bait he turns back to Felix. "Well, Felix, to answer your question I know these men won't turn on me because not only am I the one with all the power, but I was also the one who helped them when the first curse broke. I was there when Karina wasn't. She was too busy helping her new friends."

"That's why you turned my crew against me? You were hurt that I gained new friends?" I snort.

"No. I turned your crew against you because you have no right leading us! You are a young, spoiled girl who knows nothing about the hardships we all faced." Some of the other crew members start to shout their agreement. "You came into our lives and forced us to join you, then you led us straight to the curse and abandoned us!"

"Ok, first of all, I did not force you to join me. I offered each of you a chance to join me to get away from the miserable lives you were living. I offered you fame and riches and you all agreed. I gave you exactly what I offered. I didn't intentionally lead you to the first curse. Believe me, I didn't want to be cursed anymore than the rest of you did!" I can feel my frustration growing. "Stop acting like a bunch of petulant children! I'm sorry I couldn't be there to hold your hands when the curse was broken. Unlike the rest of you I was trying to keep this town from falling apart."

" _We_ were falling apart, Captain." A voice says quietly and both Joseph and I whip our heads to the side to see who spoke.

A young boy, the youngest of my crew, stares at me with bright green eyes. His face is streaked with dirt and his hair is tucked underneath his hat but I can tell it's just as dirty as his face. He was one of the last people to join my crew before we were swept up in the curse. Unlike the other men who joined, he didn't join because he was a vicious killer who was looking to escape the law. He joined us because he watched his entire family be murdered by bandits and wanted to become a pirate so he could get another family… And never be scared again.

"Nathan." I whisper, and he seems shocked for a moment, as if he can't believe I remembered his name, before he smiles softly. I always had a soft spot for Nathan and I can see that he must've had a soft spot for me too because otherwise he wouldn't have called me Captain.

"Shut. Up!" Joseph snarls at Nathan and he flinches.

I realize now that I've been right all along about some of the crew still being loyal to me. While there are a few bad men who turned against me because they truly hate me, there are some who simply joined Joseph out of fear. Which means it's become crucial for me to figure out the ones who are still loyal to me.

I turn to Joseph, "Ouch. Looks like some people are still loyal to me, no matter how hard you tried to be number one!" My bottom lip juts out in a fake pout.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you." Joseph growls, pulling out his sword. "Draw your sword. I want to prove to everyone how inferior you are to me."

I raise a brow but draw my sword regardless. "Drake, do you remember the last time Joseph challenged me?" I speak to Drake but I never take my eyes off Joseph as we stand in front of one another, both of us frozen to our spots.

"I do." Drake replies.

"Would you care to remind Joseph about what I said?"

"You told him that if he ever betrayed you again he wouldn't be so lucky to escape with his life." I can hear the smirk in Drake's words as he says each word with deliberate intensity.

"Do you remember that Joseph?" I ask, narrowing my eyes. "I warned you what would happen and now I get to turn that scar into an X." I gesture towards the long scar that cuts diagonally across his face.

"ARG!" Is all Joseph has to say as he charges at me, his sword raised. I lift my sword and they clash in the air, making a loud clanking sound. I step back and swing at him, only our swords meet again. He pushes against me and I'm forced to take a few steps back. I'm reminded once again that his physical strength far outweighs mine.

Now that Joseph has attacked me, several members of his crew attack Drake, Felix and my father. However, about half the men have stepped back and are watching the fighting with wide eyes. I realize that they are the ones who are still loyal to me.

Joseph also seems to realize it because he shouts, "Fight you bastards! _FIGHT!_ " This seems to propel them into action, however their fighting seems very weak, almost like they're trying to lose.

I'm distracted by the others, which gives Joseph the perfect opportunity to lift his foot and kick me in the chest. I fly backwards and hit a wooden beam with a loud thud. The air is knocked out of my lungs and I collapse to the ground, trying desperately to replace the air I've lost. Joseph advances on me and I quickly crawl away from him, until I feel him right behind me. Then I turn and lie flat on my back and kick him so hard in the groin he cries out and doubles over in pain.

His obvious pain gives me the chance to scramble to my feet where I immediately knee him in the face. He wheels backwards and then comes at me again like an angry bull. Once again, our swords meet and it takes all my might to push back against him. Even still, it's obvious to both of us that he has the advantage when it comes to strength.

I start to feel angry as I look up at his arrogant face. I allowed him to join my crew and he thanks me by taking it from me? One of the only things that I have that I can call mine? As my rage builds I feel the adrenaline pumping and I'm able to push back a bit more. Then I place my hand on the blade and although I feel it cutting my skin it gives me the extra push I need to push him away from me. I don't even give him the chance to recover as I jump after him, slicing him across his chest.

He hisses in pain and then tries to retreat a few steps. Just as I'm about to follow him my father and another member of my crew pass between us, wrestling for a sword. I watch them go by, momentarily distracted, but when I look back to where I last saw Joseph I notice he's missing. "Damn it." I snarl, looking around. The entire ship has descended into chaos as my friends and my father fight my old crew. The sound of swords clashing fills the night air as well as the cries of those who are injured.

Suddenly I'm hit from behind and I crash to the ground. My world is spinning as I struggle to sit up. I place my hand on the back of my neck only to see blood coating my fingers when I pull away. I wince at the sight of it and then cry out in pain when Joseph grabs my hair in his fist and drags me towards him. I kick my legs, trying desperately to get free but the blow I received to my head is impairing my movements more than I'd like to admit.

With a great show of strength I pull away as hard and as fast as I can. I feel some of my hair get ripped out and I cry from the pain of it but I'm free and that's all the matters. I scramble to my feet and swing around to face Joseph once again. He looks at my hair wrapped around his fingers, looking furious before he throws it down.

"What's the matter, Joseph? I'm not as easy of a kill as you would like?" I smirk when he growls. "You want me? Come and get me!"

He advances on me again, relentlessly slashing at me with his sword. I block each and every hit he throws my way but I can feel myself getting tired. It's been a long time since I fought like this, more than a year. But Joseph, I can tell he has been fighting all the time I wasn't and he's grown stronger because of it.

"You don't deserve this! You don't deserve any of this!" Joseph shouts as our swords clash together and we come face to face, barely inches apart. "I'm a better leader than you! I always have been."

"What did I ever do to make you hate me so much?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"You were born." He hisses and then pushes against me. I try to gain my grip, but the wooden deck provides very little traction under my boots. "I'm going to kill you, and then gut you and raise your skin like a flag for everyone to see! I want _everyone_ in this pitiful town to see that I beat the infamous Karina Jones!"

Now Joseph has me leaning against the railing, my upper half extended over the water. My feet barely graze the ground as he pushes me further and further over the railing. "You haven't beat me yet." I snarl as I take one of my daggers and plunge it into his side. Unfortunately, Joseph seemed to have the same idea as he had grabbed my other dagger and plunged it up through my ribcage.

Our faces both mirror shock as the blades enter deeper into our bodies, cutting through crucial points. I can feel myself slipping over the railing as Joseph loses his grip on me but I refuse to go down alone. I wrap my arms around his neck and drag him towards me. His extra weight pushes me over even further and we both fall through the air, wrapped in each other's arms like we're in some kind of twisted love affair. We hit the dark water and everything goes black.

 **A/N:** Once again, I must apologize for the super late update… I went on an impromptu road trip with some friends and didn't have any means to write the new chapter. To make it up to you guys, I will be posting another chapter tomorrow.

Please take a moment to review!


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Fifteen ~**

The sound of birds cawing brings me out of the darkness as I quickly realize that everything hurts. A lot. I try to move and immediately I cry out in pain, ceasing any kind of movement. Joseph stabbed me and I stabbed him. Then we both fell overboard and I blacked out.

I can taste sand in my mouth and as I slowly open my eyes I manage to catch a glimpse of the beach and trees around me before I immediately shut them again. Although the sun beating down warms me up, it also blinds me due to its powerful rays. I can feel water lapping over my body and each time it reaches the wound just underneath my ribs I am filled with searing pain as the salt water enters my wound.

Once again, I try to open my eyes, only this time I'm more prepared and only open them slightly as I look down at my body. I'm soaking wet and covered in blood, whether it's mine or Joseph's I have no idea, but I'm sure it's a mixture of both. I spit the sand from my mouth and I'm not surprised when I see blood mingling with the sand and my saliva.

I moan softly as I try to push myself up. By lying on my stomach, I can only imagine all the sand and ocean water that has entered my wound. I know I need to get up and find help, but my entire body hurts and all I want to do is go back to sleep.

Softly whimpering I lie my head back down on the sand, resigning myself to the inevitable. Joseph mortally wounded me, he must've come close to grazing my heart, stabbing up through my ribs the way he did. The only reason I'm alive now is because he missed, but that doesn't make his cut any less deep, nor any less dangerous.

"Peter…" I whisper, knowing he can't hear me but silently praying that he does. My world spins around me and I slip into the darkness again.

…

"I found her! She's over here!" The shouting jars me from the darkness. I jerk and then cry out in pain when I'm reminded of my wound. The pounding footsteps against the sand brings me back from the darkness even more.

Someone collapses next to me and I try to jump away from them, surprised by their sudden appearance. Bad idea. It feels like the cut below my ribs is ripped open even more and I scream in agony.

"Captain! Stop moving. You're just making it worse." I recognize the familiar, deep tone of my first mate, Drake. I breathe a sigh of relief and hear more pounding footsteps running towards us.

"We have to get her back to your place, now." That's Felix and he sounds worried. He never sounds worried. I must look much worse than I thought. "Only Pan can save her now."

"Do you think he knows?" Drake whispers. _Knows what? That I'm dying on the beach? He better not know or I'll kick his ass for leaving me here._

"If Peter Pan knew what happened, we'd all be dead for letting this happen to her." I realize that's my father speaking and I try to open my eyes to see him but once again I'm blinded by the sun.

"Let's go." I feel two pairs of hands grab me, picking me up and lifting me high. The movement jostles my already pained body and I start to scream and cry in pain. "We got you, Karina. You're going to be ok."

Their voices blend together and soon I can't differentiate who is speaking to me. All I focus on is the pain and the mutilated sight of my mid-section. "We're almost there, Captain. Just hold on a little longer."

After what feels like an eternity we enter a building, and finally the sun is blocked out. Relief washes over me but it doesn't last long as they set me down on a couch and the movement elicits more pain. "Put pressure on the wound. We have to stop the bleeding." A pair of hands press against my stomach and I wish the darkness would take me again.

"PAN! Karina needs your help! Please!" Felix shouts and continues to scream as he runs from room to room. I look up and my father is kneeling next to my head. He brushes my hair away from my face and uses his thumb to catch my tears. He smiles sadly and I can see the guilt in his blue eyes.

I open my mouth to tell him this isn't his fault, but instead a scream claws its way out of my throat, shocking both Drake and my father.

"What happened to her?!" A new voice demands, sounding furious. Drake is thrown away from me and so is my father, both pulled away by invisible hands. Peter's face enters my line of vision, looking furious and maybe even a little worried. He places his hand on my burning cheek and I practically moan with the comfort his touch brings me. "I thought you were going to face Joseph!"

"We did. He was stronger than the last time we saw him." Drake admits gruffly.

"Karina hasn't been living like a pirate for years. He has. She could've lost some of her edge." Felix mutters, and Peter turns to glare furiously at him. I can tell Peter doesn't like him saying it but we both know it's true. I've been living in Storybrooke where sword fighting is practically non-existent.

With a growl Peter turns back to me and lifts my shirt to inspect the wound. That's when everyone notices the black veins traveling up from the wound, towards my heart. Peter swears. "You've been poisoned!"

I look at my father and he's giving me the same knowing look. After we left the Rabbit Hole last night my father had pulled me aside and gave me a concentrated dose of dreamshade he once used on the Dark One. He wanted me to dip my daggers in it and use them if it appeared that I was losing. He wanted me to fight dirty if I had to. I didn't tell Drake or Felix because I didn't want anything to risk giving me away.

"That doesn't make sense. She was stabbed with her own dagger… Unless… Captain! Did you poison your daggers?" Drake demands, looking upset.

"That looks like dreamshade." Felix mutters as he inspects the black veins.

"A very concentrated dose of dreamshade." Peter replies, his voice barely above a whisper. "I wonder who gave it to her…" Slowly, he looks up at my father, his expression full of murderous intent.

My father meets Peter's gaze without flinching and if I wasn't in so much pain I would applaud him for being so brave… And then smack him for being stupid.

With a flick of his wrist Peter has my father pinned against the wall. My father tries to grasp at his throat with his only good hand, though it hardly does him any good. Peter advances until the two are inches apart. "I've wanted to kill you for a very long time… Thank you for giving me the excuse I needed."

Before I can help myself I start to whimper, my eyes wide as I try desperately to grab Peter's attention. Instead, Drake notices my desperation and walks over to Peter. "Uh, mate? Perhaps now isn't the best time? Your girl is on the couch dying… I ain't no dreamshade expert, but I do understand that a concentrated dose of any poison is very bad."

Peter turns to glare at Drake with his lip curled in disgust. He raises his hand and Drake falls to the ground, choking. Feeling desperate I use every bit of strength that I have left and throw myself off the couch. I scream in pain from the movement and from the contact with the hard wooden floorboards, but it does exactly what I intended it to do… It distracts Peter.

He immediately releases both Drake and my father. Drake starts to suck in deep gulps of air while my father falls to the floor and continues to clutch his throat. Peter rushes to me and helps me sit up. "I wasn't really going to kill them. You didn't have to make such a huge show." He mutters low enough so that only I can hear. I give him a look and he smiles devilishly. "Ok, maybe I was."

"How are we going to cure her of the dreamshade this time?" Felix asks now that most of the chaos has surpassed and Peter looks relatively less murderous. "We're not in Neverland, we don't have access to the spring and I'm guessing none of us have any of the water on hand."

"You have magic, can't you go back to Neverland and get some water?" My father asks, glaring hatefully at Peter.

"I won't make it back in time. The dosage is too powerful. If I had known about this sooner I might've had a chance…" Peter barely turns his long, thin frame to glare angrily at Felix. "She'll die before I can get the water from the spring and get back… And I refuse to spend what could be her last moments away from her."

"So then what are we going to do?" My father demands, throwing his arms into the air.

As they spend their time arguing I can feel the poison working its way through my body. My breathing is becoming more and more shallow, while a thick layer of sweat covers my back and face. I feel hot and cold all at the same time and my heart is pounding. I want to tell them all to shut up and heal me but all my blood loss is making it hard for me to even sit up straight. If it weren't for Peter's arms supporting me I would probably be a heap on the floor by now.

"I have a plan." Peter mutters ominously. "And you're not going to like it." He says this to me and I furrow my brows. "But then again, when have you ever liked me saving your life?"

He picks me up so that he's carrying me bridal style. I cry out softly as I place my already bloodies hands over the wound. Peter slowly turns us so that we face the other three and then in a blink of an eye the room and the others disappear.

I gasp when we reappear in Gold's shop. Peter places me gently on one of the glass counters and then immediately starts looking through all of the cabinets. He's hardly being quiet throughout his search as he throws things around and kicks things out of his way. I can only hope that Belle is nowhere near here because I don't know what Peter will do to her if she catches him.

Eventually Peter moves on to the other room, even though I still have no idea what he's looking for.

I can feel the darkness pulling me back in. My eyelids start to droop and suddenly I don't feel the pain anymore. It's like it's been sucked from my body. I smile blissfully. The sound of Peter slamming things around in the other room barely even fazes me as I'm finally able to drift off to sleep once more.

…

I wake up with a sharp gasp and practically fall off the bench someone had placed me on. I blink several times as I try to clear my mind. I place my hand on my stomach and I'm shocked when I don't feel any pain. I lift my shirt and see that the wound is healed and there is no longer any evidence of dreamshade.

I try to lift my hand to run my fingers through my hair only to have something stop me. I look down and see that I'm handcuffed to the bench. For the first time since waking up I look up to take in my surroundings and realize I'm in a cell. Emma, her parents and Regina stare back at me.

"What the hell is this?" I demand angrily, pulling on the handcuffs. I turn to stare furiously at Emma because I know she's the instigator in all this.

"I warned you Karina… You killed the nurse at the hospital and I have eye witnesses saying you stabbed a bartender at the Rabbit Hole and I have two other victims with stab wounds all over their bodies. Eye witnesses place you at that bar. I warned you that I couldn't protect you from this." Emma replies evenly.

"Are you kidding me, Emma? Let me out of here!" I shout, pulling on the handcuffs even more.

"I'm sorry Karina. But you're guilty and it's time you faced punishment for your crimes." Emma almost looks sad to say it but I refuse to believe this is anything but an act. "Just answer me this… Why did you kill Zach? I thought he was your friend! Your boyfriend, even!"

I freeze, ceasing any attempts I was making to break free of the handcuffs. Slowly, I lift my head to stare at her. "W-What?"

"Don't try to deny it. We found one of your daggers still embedded in his chest." Regina sneers.

"What? No! I didn't kill Zach. I was trying to protect him! I thought you were supposed to be watching him anyways? How would 'I' have gotten past you to kill him?" I look between Emma and her parents as they stare at one another. They almost look like they believe me.

"Someone knocked us out. When we woke up, Zach was dead with your dagger in his chest." David says, pointing an accusing finger at me.

"No! I didn't kill him. I swear!" Tears fill my eyes as I picture Zach dead on the ground. Our relationship may have been flipped upside down but that doesn't mean that I didn't want Zach to continue living his life. He was a sweet guy. He deserved a better life.

"Emma… I think she's telling the truth." Mary Margaret whispers. "It wouldn't be the first time someone in this town was framed for a murder they didn't commit." Mary Margaret looks pointedly at Regina, who rolls her eyes.

"Well, if you didn't kill Zach, who did?" Emma asks.

I open my mouth to reply, but then automatically shut it, pressing my lips together firmly. _Peter killed him. I know he did. He must've used the candle that Gold used over a year ago when he was poisoned by dreamshade to save my life. Then he used one of my daggers to make it look like I did it… All so he could cover his own tracks._

When Emma sees that I have no reply she shakes her head sadly and starts to back away from the cell. "I'm sorry, Karina." The four adults leave the sheriff's station, even turning off some of the lights so I'm sitting in almost complete darkness.

I collapse against the bench and shake my head miserably. "Ouch, that was rough." Someone says close to my ear. Immediately, I lash out but Peter manages to catch my wrist, stopping me before I manage to do any damage.

"You killed Zach?" I screech. "If I had both of my hands right now I would _strangle you_! What about Nova? Did you kill her too?"

"No, Nova's fine. I sent her back to New York in a portal with no memory of Storybrooke or anyone in it… And as far as she's concerned, Zach died in a car accident during their road trip." Peter shrugs his shoulders as if this is the simplest explanation. "I only needed one life to save yours… Zach happened to be the one I hated the most… Though, to be fair, your father and Drake came in close behind him. Though I figured out of the three of them, Zach would be the one you missed the least."

"Ugh!" I try to lash out at him again but this time he pins my wrist to the wall and squeezes it. He doesn't do it hard but it's enough of a warning that if I try it again he'll do worse to it next time.

"When are you going to learn Karina? I'm a bad guy… And when it comes to you, I'm even worse. I'll kill anyone who stands in my way and I'll do whatever it takes to ensure your survival. Even if that means killing someone you care about." Peter whispers these words so close to my ear I can feel his breath on my neck and then he places a kiss just underneath my earlobe.

Feeling annoyed I push him away from me. He doesn't seem surprised by my rejection, in fact, he looks amused. "You had to frame me for his murder?"

"Yes, because I couldn't have my own cover blown… As far as Emma and her parents are concerned, you murdered Zach… Though your motives are unclear… As for that nasty poisonous wound you obtained when fighting Joseph, they have no idea it was ever there." Peter grins wickedly, as though watching his entire plan fall into place brings him great pleasure.

"I hate you." I narrow my eyes and I say the words with such malice anyone who didn't know us would probably believe me.

Unfortunately, Peter Pan knows me better than anyone. "No, you don't. You love me. You always have, and you always will." He grabs my chin and pulls me to him, kissing me heatedly.

Still feeling angry with him I bite his lip as hard as I can. "Fuck you." I growl and he laughs.

"I missed seeing that fire." Peter grins as he wipes away the blood on his lip. He gets up and I watch him slowly back away from me. "I was coming to free you, but I suppose since you're being so mean, I should leave you here for the night to cool off. What do you think?"

I don't say anything as I glower furiously at him. When he realizes that I won't respond he merely shrugs his shoulders and then disappears with the blink of an eye.

Once he's gone I allow the tears for Zach to flow down my cheeks. To know I was so close to getting him out of danger and on his way to a new and better life and yet I still failed is heartbreaking. Zach was always so sweet to me and he deserved better.

Instead, he got trapped in the same web that Rufio and even Felix got caught in. The dangerous web of mine and Peter's love. Peter killed Zach for kissing me, for dating me, even when I had no memory of Peter and Zach had never even heard a single mention of him. But Zach had placed his hands on me and that was enough for Peter to kill him.

I should hate Peter for all the pain he's put me through and yet he was right that I love him. I always have and I always will. What does that say about me? Since giving up on his obsession to take the heart of the truest believer I thought he was getting better. Less psychotic and villainous. I should've known better. How can I let myself go darker and expect him to become a better person? I was foolish to think that's possible.

Suddenly, there is an explosion of glass breaking as someone launches themselves through the window. I shout and jump up, staring at the dark figure as it crashes to the floor. For a moment I think it's Felix, because they have the same tall, well-built frame. But then the intruder stands up and I feel my blood run cold as I see who it really is.

Joseph.

"You're supposed to be dead." I snarl, refusing to show any emotion other than anger.

Joseph grins viciously. "So are you." He saunters towards my cell and leans against the bars. "Lacing your daggers with a concentrated dose of dreamshade. Very smart. Would've been smarter if I didn't have my own magical help."

"Damn. I guess even sharks don't want to eat scum like you." I reply, my own smile holding equal amounts of malice.

"I think I'm going to have to send Emma a fruit basket thanking her for making it so easy for me to finish you." He smirks. "After all, I'm not the only one who wants you dead. The Wicked Witch _really_ wants you to suffer."

"And why exactly does the Wicked Witch care about me at all? I never even met the hag until recently." I roll my eyes.

"Because… You're the only thing that keeps Peter Pan relatively human. Once you're gone, she can control him like she controls his brother. Then she'll be unstoppable. So you see, Zelena and I really did have each other's best interests in mind when we crafted our deal. We both want you dead so we can both have the power that we deserve." The pure hatred for me in Joseph's eyes amuses me.

"So, let me get this straight… You came here to kill me… Meanwhile I'm handcuffed to a metal bench and locked in a jail cell. That hardly seems fair… Unless you're so afraid of losing to a girl that you'll kill me when you have the obvious advantage." I rattle the handcuffs to make my point clear.

Joseph sneers and I know my words are working. The best way to get into his head is attack his ego. He has to prove he's better than me if he's going to kill me. He wants me to think he's more powerful right before I die. If he kills me while I'm handcuffed to a bench the only thing I'll be thinking about him as I die is that he's a coward. And he knows it.

"Why don't you let me out of here and we'll fight hand-to-hand? No weapons, no poison, no magical help on either side. Just you and me. Winner takes all." I smirk, watching his reactions carefully.

"Loser dies." Joseph clarifies.

"Obviously." I snort. He seems to contemplate my offer for a moment and then he goes to Emma's desk, obviously in search of the keys to my jail cell. He breaks open a locked drawer and produces two different keys; one for my cell and one for handcuffs.

He slowly stalks over to me and I can hear my heart pounding as I watch him unlock the cell. I may know how Joseph thinks and he may have a very strong ego, but he also wants to win. Badly. He might just say 'screw it' to my proposal and kill me anyways. Then run off and tell whatever story he pleases. It's not like I'd be around to argue it.

As he steps into the cell we gaze at one another warily. Once he's right beside me I can see how tense he is and I know he can tell I'm the same. With a soft click the handcuff's come loose and I immediately back away from him.

The tension in the air is so thick it's practically suffocating. We slowly start to circle one another, each of us taking in the other's weak spots. "Get rid of the sword." I nod at the sword that is strapped to his waist. He takes it off and throws it on the ground. "And the dagger hidden up your sleeve." He smirks, clearly impressed that I knew it was there.

"Why don't you get rid of the one you have hiding in your boot?" He asks me. "Being poisoned with dreamshade again today isn't exactly on my list of things to do."

I roll my eyes and lean down to remove the dagger, the only one I have left, though I refuse to take my eyes off of him. I already lost my sword when we fought the first time on my ship. Now I stand before him with no weapon other than my fists… And I pray they're enough.

Upon seeing my newly vulnerable state Joseph takes a moment to smirk and then he lunges at me with a mighty roar. I jump back and I hit the bars of my cell. However, I use it to give me the balance I need to reach up and kick his chest, knocking him halfway across the cell. He comes at me again, arms swinging and I block each of his throws. Then, I use my height against him as I land several hard blows to his stomach. He doubles over and I bring my knee up, connecting with his nose. Blood drips down his face and into his mouth, coating his teeth as he smiles viciously at me.

"Someone has been practicing hand-to-hand fighting, I see." Joseph says, looking annoyed. It's true that while I may have gotten weaker when it comes to fighting with a sword, my hand-to-hand fighting has gotten much better. Back in New York I was known for starting fights at least once a day. Of course, I got a bit better at avoiding the fights the more I got in trouble with Emma and my therapist, but that doesn't mean I didn't learn different fighting techniques.

"Someone's gotten too used to hiding behind his sword." I taunt and then beckon him forward, raising my hands over my face.

Joseph comes at me again and this time he manages to reach out and grip my throat, throwing me down onto the ground. I cough as I try to regain air into my lungs. He takes my momentary weakness to start kicking me in the back. I have no choice but to roll away and try to scramble to my feet as quickly as I can. He grabs my hair and drags me back towards him, wrapping his hands around my throat.

"You have no idea how long I've been dreaming of this moment." He hisses in my ear. I try to pry his hands away from my neck as my world starts to fade and black dots cover what's left of my vision. Joseph starts to lift me off the ground and I kick as hard as I can until my foot makes a connection with his private area.

He shouts, clearly surprised, and drops me. I refuse to give my body time to recover as I elbow him as hard as I can in the stomach. He doubles over, wheezing for air. As he's doing that I give myself a moment to gasp for my own breath. Unfortunately, Joseph recovers a lot faster than I do and he swings around, punching me hard in the jaw.

I go down, clutching my jaw as I cry out in pain. Then Joseph tries to crush my throat with his boot and I have to grab his heel and his toes to keep him from stomping on me. It takes all my strength to keep him from pushing his foot down. Eventually I'm able to push back just enough to cause him to lose his balance. He falls back and I crawl over to him, climbing on top of his body I deliver punch after punch to his face. "This is for taking what's rightfully mine! And for saying women don't deserve to be captains! I gave you _everything_! Fuck you, you pig!" I jump off him and grab him by his hair. I drag him to the edge of my cell and then I start bashing his head into the bars, over and over again.

Blood drips down his face as at first he tries to fight me, but the more I beat his head against the metal bars, the less he tries to fight. So much rage and anguish fills me as I continuously hit his head against the bars. Finally, I hit his head so hard blood spurts from an open wound on his head and covers my face. Some of his blood even gets in my eyes, blurring my vision, but I still don't stop. I continue to beat his head against the bars, screaming like an animal until a horrified scream that isn't my own finally pulls me out of my rage.

I realize that Joseph is long since dead and I drop his body to the ground. I look up to see Emma and her parents staring at me with open mouthed shock.

Breathing hard I lift my arms into the air and say, "Ok, this time… It was me."

 **A/N:** Joseph is finally dead! Hallelujah! He really did have it coming.

Please take a moment to review!


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Sixteen ~**

"Keep your hands in the air!" Emma orders, lifting her gun and pointing it straight at my chest. Her father follows her lead as he gently pulls his heavily pregnant wife behind him.

"Seriously?" I grumble, keeping my hands in the air, my bloodied palms facing her. "It was self-defence."

"Yea, you looked real defenseless." David growls, glaring at me.

I cock my head to the side and narrow my eyes at him. "I killed him before he could kill me. Just because you locked me up in a jail cell doesn't mean I was safe from those who want to kill me."

"How did he even get in here?" Mary Margaret asks, looking bewildered.

I nod my head at all the broken glass on the ground and the gaping hole in the window. "How do you think? You know, Emma, you really should get a better security system. He had no problem getting in here and getting the keys to open my cell… You could say you're just as responsible for his death as I am." I smirk at her infuriated reaction.

She quickly crosses the room until she's within striking distance, the tip of her gun inches away from my chest. "Cut the crap, Karina. I'm arresting you for murder."

"Do you really think a jail cell will hold me for long? Especially with my connections in this town? You're better off killing me." I lower my hands and take one step forward, placing the tip of her gun against my sternum. "Go ahead, Emma. Kill me."

"Emma…" Her mother says cautiously.

"Pull the trigger." I order, smiling wildly. Distantly I realize I'm acting exactly like Peter and I wonder how he'd react to seeing me behave exactly like him. He'd probably be proud that he rubbed off on me.

"Emma, don't." Mary Margaret cries, louder this time. "She's trying to provoke you. Don't fall for it."

I snort but never take my eyes off Emma as we stare each other down. She looks conflicted, though I can't tell if she's conflicted because she really wants to shoot me or because she can't figure out if I'm serious or not. Truthfully, I don't know if I want her to shoot me or not. It would certainly be interesting if she killed me… Not that I'd be around to see it. But I already know Peter's reaction and can guess my father's.

The air between us remains tense until finally she drops her hand and shakes her head. "I'm not going to kill you, Karina. We're not that far gone yet… But I am going to arrest you. I can't let you kill as many people as you have and let you get away with it."

"And yet, you let Regina get away with it?" I raise an eyebrow, feeling triumphant when she freezes.

"That's different." Emma replies quickly, lifting her chin defiantly.

"How so? Because she uses her magic to do it? Or because she's part of your little group of heroes now?" I demand, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Regina never killed anyone who was close to her! You killed Zach. And now you killed someone in the sheriff's station! You've gone too far. I can't let you get away with it this time." Emma shakes her head.

"Of course, Regina killed someone close to her! How else did she activate the first curse? Admit it, Emma. The only reason you want to arrest me for murder is because I don't act like a precious snowflake. You and your parents, and even Regina, you all pretend to be heroes, but you've done horrible things just to keep yourselves alive and together. What makes you think what I've done is any different?"

"We don't kill people." David growls.

I throw my head back and bark out a laugh. "Don't you?" He narrows his eyes but says nothing.

"Karina, I'm arresting you because you killed people. It has nothing to do with how you've been acting. Though you have been acting like a brat lately." Emma replies, her face red with anger.

"A brat? Really? Last year I was bending over backwards to help you and then you screwed me over anyways. Excuse me for refusing to behave like your sidekick again. I'm finally embracing who I really am!" I step towards her until our faces are inches apart. "You can try to arrest me but I guarantee you I won't be there for long. Not with the connections I have in this town."

Emma opens her mouth to reply when the sound of a slamming door and several pairs of feet stomping through the lobby of the sheriff's station interrupts her. We turn to see my father, Drake and Felix enter the room.

Immediately upon sensing the tense atmosphere Drake and Felix walk over to me, flanking me on either side. Felix smirks at David and Mary Margaret as they stare wide eyed at him. Drake notices Joseph's body and grins at me, patting me on the back like a proud older brother.

"What's going on here?" My father asks, the first one to break the silence. He moves until he's standing in between Emma and me.

"Your girlfriend is trying to arrest me." I reply sourly.

"Because your daughter killed four people." Emma fires back, sounding annoyed and flustered with my father's sudden appearance.

"Um, I object! I only remember killing two!" I raise my hand like a student preparing to answer a question in class. "I'll confess to killing Joseph and Mervyn, but I did not kill Zach and whoever the fourth person was!"

"The bartender at the Rabbit Hole?" Emma asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh… Yea… I may have killed him too… With poison. Oops." I forgot all about stabbing the bartender in the hand with one of my poisoned blades. "But still! That's only three of four!"

"Uh, I don't think that's as good as you're pretending it is." Drake mutters to me, covering his mouth with his hand even though everyone in the room can hear him.

"It's still one less person than the four I'm being accused of." I reply.

"Fair point."

"Ok, Karina. If you didn't kill Zach, who did?" Emma crosses her arms and smirks, thinking she has me cornered.

I open my mouth to reply with some kind of witty response when Felix clears his throat and steps forward. However, the voice that speaks next doesn't belong to any of us. "Now Felix, don't try to take credit for my work."

Everyone spins around to find Peter leaning on the doorframe, smirking. Immediately Emma and David lift their guns and open fire. Unfortunately, all their shots do is put holes in the wall as Peter had disappeared. When he reappears it's next to Felix and he's laughing. "I love how you think that would've worked! It's like you've never even met me!"

They turn at the sound of his voice and raise their guns again. This time I speak up and say, "Really? Are you going to try that again?"

Emma looks at my father who doesn't look surprised to see Peter. "You knew he was alive?" She demands, her face holding hurt and betrayal.

My father looks at me for a moment and then turns back to Emma. "Yes… I knew he was alive. Karina told me and swore me to secrecy."

"How could you keep this from me? He tried to kill my son!" Emma shouts, looking like she's about to start crying.

"And yet he saved my daughter's life! Numerous times. For that alone I owed it to him, to both of them, to keep his secret. But Emma, I swear to you, if I had any inkling of an idea that he was going to go after your son I would've told you about him immediately. But he doesn't want to hurt Henry anymore. The only reason he's still in Storybrooke is because Karina asked him for help getting Henry's memories back. Then they plan to leave. Right?" My father turns to us, looking desperate.

"Absolutely." I reply.

"For what it's worth, I figured out how to get Henry's memories back… If you're interested." Peter smirks.

"I'm not." Emma snarls, her teeth clenched.

"Fair enough." Peter raises his hands in the air, but the same smirk remains.

"Let's get one thing straight… I'm not here to play games with you, Pan. This isn't Neverland. We killed you once before and we're going to kill you again. I don't know how you managed to weasel your way back into the world of the living but I'm guessing you're responsible for Karina's memories coming back and a lot of other bad things that have happened lately. If you try anything to hurt the people that I love… I will kill you." Emma says the last four words quietly, looking fierce.

Peter places his hand over his heart and says in a mocking tone, "You have my word."

Emma stares him down for a long time until finally she storms away, her parents following her, though they look a little shocked. My father tries to stop her by placing his hand on her arm but she jerks herself away from his touch.

Just before she exits the room I call after her, "So does this mean I'm not arrested?!" She stops for a brief second and then continues on her way, her shoulders hunched forward.

"Well… That went surprisingly well." Drake mutters.

"Speak for yourself." My father replies, looking dejected.

"I'm sure you'll win her back, papa. We Jones' are kind of hard to resist." I smirk as I wrap my arms around him and hug him. "Thank you for coming to my defence."

"Of course. I'm still your father… Which means I have to protect you. Even if it's from my own girlfriend who is trying to arrest you for murder." He stops and seems to think about his words for a moment before he shakes his head sadly.

"Wow… Way to make our lives sound messed up."

"Aren't they? Don't worry. Your secret wouldn't be the first thing I'm keeping from Emma." He mutters and I raise a brow. "Never mind. Don't worry about it."

"I'm surprised you made yourself known." Felix says to Peter.

"Yea, so am I. Whatever happened to framing me for murder so that your own cover won't be blown?" Peter shrugs his shoulders and doesn't say anything. "Oh wow! Don't tell me you actually had a guilty conscious for framing your girlfriend for murder?!" I start to laugh but the moment Peter turns his furious gaze to me I stop laughing and settle for a pursed lipped grin.

"For your information, I wanted to see the look on Emma's face when I revealed that I'm alive. Have to say I'm not disappointed." Peter smirks.

"Why did you kill Zach?" Drake asks Peter.

"Because it was the only way to save my girl's life." Peter replies, looking angry. "Karina was dying and I needed to save her. I did it the only way I knew of that didn't have a risky timeline. I used a candle that switches one life for another. You're lucky I didn't kill you, because you were certainly next on my list." Peter's smile looks so cold that Drake takes a step back.

"Well then… I'm glad it was him and not me." Drake mutters, face pale.

"You said you know how to bring back Henry's memories… How do we do that?" My father changes the subject.

"Oh, we don't do anything. We can't. He has to receive true love's kiss. Once Henry has his memories back, not only will his curse be broken, but so will the curse on the town. Everyone will get their memories back from the missing year." Peter replies. "Too bad Emma didn't want to hear what I have to say."

"No… Maybe not from you. But I'm going to tell her now." Suddenly he looks excited and I feel sad for him. No doubt he thinks telling Emma how to help her son will make her forgive him. But if I know Emma at all, and I'd like to think that I do, it'll take a lot more than that for her to forgive my father after he, in her eyes, betrayed her. "Will you be ok for now, while I go talk to Emma?"

"Of course, I'll be fine, papa. Go." I wave my hand to the door and he smiles.

He turns to leave but then immediately comes back into the room and embraces me in a warm hug. "Glad Peter saved your life… I'm sorry about the way it was done." I hold onto him tightly, relishing in the comfort my father's familiar scent brings. "But I'm not sorry that I get to spend more time with my child."

"I know, papa. As awful as it is, I'm happy to be alive." I whisper in his ear so that no one else can hear us. The guilt that I feel over Zach's death is only amplified by my happiness to be alive. I know it's a very human thing, to be glad that I'm alive, but knowing that Zach had to lose his life for mine, makes it worse.

He pulls away and runs his thumb over my cheek, smiling at me before he nods at the three boys and leaves the sheriff's station. I wait until I hear the front door shut behind him before I turn to Drake and say, "Grab the body. Time to go prove who's boss."

…..

We arrive at my ship, with Joseph's dead body in tow. This time, when we arrive on the ship no one grabs us or points a sword at our throats. Instead, they carefully watch us file onto the ship, one by one until finally Drake arrives last with Joseph's body thrown over his shoulder.

I hear a few crew members gasp when Drake throws the body at the feet of the men who were most loyal to Joseph. "That's what your loyalty is going to get you." He growls, pointing at the abused corpse.

"You killed him?" One of the men asks, his expression filled with rage.

"Of course, I did." I smile sinisterly. "I warned him that I was going to kill him. You don't take what's mine and expect to get away with it."

"You bitch… I should kill you for this. You killed our true captain!" He snarls, advancing on me with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Peter raises his hand and he freezes. "I'd take a second to think this through."

"You're going to have your boyfriend do your dirty work for you again, Karina?" Another crew member sneers.

"I don't need Peter to do my 'dirty work', as you like to call it. He's just extremely overprotective. If you fools want to challenge me when he's around… Well, it's your own funeral." I simply shrug my shoulders and smile sweetly.

"Crew! You're not really going to let this _woman_ lead us, are you? She has no right being captain! She abandoned us for her pack of children in Neverland. We don't need her!" He shouts as he turns to face the rest of my crew. He's most likely preaching the same stuff Joseph did, only this time the words fall upon deaf ears. Those who were on the fence with their loyalties have switched back to my side upon seeing Joseph's body, I can see it in their eyes.

"Shut up, Harry." I sigh, referring to that man giving the awful speech. "It's over. I won… Just like I said I would."

Harry draws his sword and with a mighty roar he charges at me. Peter raises his hand again, but unlike the last guy, he doesn't freeze Harry where he stands. Instead, Harry starts to scream in agony as he drops his sword and claws at his head. Blood starts to pour out of every orifice, until suddenly Harry drops dead, his eyes open in horror.

"Anyone else want to try?" Peter calls to the last few men who are loyal to Joseph. They all look at one another nervously and then one by one they throw themselves overboard. Peter watches them go, looking amused and then with a flick of his wrist the first crew member who tried to attack me is thrown overboard as well. "Well, that solves that." Peter smirks at me.

"As for the rest of you…" With Drake's help I climb onto one of the railings so I'm overlooking what's left of my crew. "I can forgive you for turning your backs on me. I understand I wasn't the best captain, and I know Joseph threatened violence against all of you. But I swear that as long as you remain loyal to me in the years to come, you will have what I promised." The crew, including Drake start to cheer. "You'll have the fame, and the riches!" More cheering. "And you'll have everything your hearts desire! I will see to it that the world will tremble when they hear our names. We will be legends and our stories will be told for centuries to come! We will be the best damn pirates this world and every other world has ever known!"

"Captain Jones! Captain Jones! Captain Jones!" The men start to chant excitedly as they fist bump and high five one another. Drake flashes me a broad grin and a thumbs up before he continues to chant with the others.

I turn to Peter to see him smiling at me, and for once it's not a sarcastic grin. Instead, he seems genuinely proud as he claps his hands with the others. I smile back at him and then jump off the railing, throwing myself at him as I wrap my arms around his neck. I crash my lips to his and smile when I feel his arms wrap tightly around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"Excellent show of leadership." He says once we pull away.

"I couldn't have done it without you." I reply, grinning widely.

"Captain, may I ask what our next move is?" Drake asks, pulling me away from Peter.

"Yes, prepare to set sail, mates. We're leaving this town behind." I smirk and the men cheer again before they set to work. "Drake, I'm sure you'll see to it that everything is done to my satisfaction?"

"Of course, Captain." Drake replies and bows his head. "Perhaps Felix will want to help? Make sure everything is done to _my_ satisfaction?" I know Drake is only teasing but it causes Felix to give him the exact reaction he was looking for.

Felix's eyes go wide as he looks between the three of us, his mouth hanging open in shock. "Uh… Uh…" He says over and over again.

Peter and I share an amused look as we watch Felix search desperately for any kind of response. "Go ahead, Felix. Karina and I need some time alone anyways." Peter encourages him, slapping him on the back. Normally, that wouldn't faze Felix at all, but because he's already so startled, Peter startles him even more and he practically falls forward.

"Uh… Ok." Felix mutters and slowly follows Drake.

"I think they make a cute couple." I say to Peter as I watch them go.

"I think Drake is going to chew him up and spit him out." Peter snorts.

"Oh, absolutely. But they'll be cute while they last."

"Were you serious about us leaving?" Peter asks me and for a rare moment, he sounds serious.

"Yes. I think we've all overstayed our welcome in this town. I've done some irreparable damage to my relationship with almost everyone in this town. It's time for us to go… I'm assuming you have a way for us to get out of this town?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Absolutely." Peter smirks. "Though we'll still have to deal with the Wicked Witch before we go. Don't forget she turned your crew against you in the hopes of seeing you dead… So she can control me. We'll certainly have to deal with that before we go."

"I was hoping we'd leave this whole mess to the heroes… They love fixing bad situations." I groan and lean forward until my forehead is placed on Peter's shoulder.

"As much as I would love to leave it for them, I know you'll regret it the moment we're gone. Especially if you leave your father behind. You'll constantly worry about him." I groan again when I realize he's right.

"When did you get so wise?" I grumble, my words muffled by his clothes.

"I've always been wise. You just refused to listen until recently." Peter smirks.

I open my mouth to argue when my phone starts ringing. I pull it out and realize it's Henry. Feeling guilty for not speaking to him for days and simply disappearing I quickly answer the phone, "Hey kid… What's up?"

"Karina, where have you been? You just disappeared! I haven't seen you in days and my mom's been acting weird too. She won't talk about you. Won't even tell me where you went. What happened to you?" Henry sounds angry but also a little afraid. I suppose that's normal since he still knows me as someone with a lot of mental instabilities.

"I'm sorry, kid. Your mom and I had a pretty bad fight and I had to get away. Why don't I meet you for some hot chocolate and then we'll see if we can find something fun to do in this boring town?" I try to say it with as much enthusiasm as I can muster, but he must sense the truth.

"Don't bother." He grumbles and immediately hangs up.

I sigh and shove my phone in my pocket. "I have to go find Henry. He's really upset and when he's upset he does stupid things."

"I'll come with you." Peter says as I make my way towards the ladder.

We leave the docks and head into town. Using one of Peter's spells we track Henry down to Granny's diner where he's trying to get into Emma's car. "Whatcha doing?" I ask, startling him into dropping the keys.

"N-Nothing… I left my Gameboy in mom's car. I'm just trying to get it out." Henry says quickly and I instantly know he's lying.

"Sure you are, kid." I smirk and Peter crosses his arms over his chest.

"Fine, I'm going home." He admits tiredly. "Not like anyone's going to miss me in this town anyways. You and mom are never around and I don't even know anyone else!"

"So… You're running away?" Peter asks sarcastically and Henry glares at him.

"Who is this guy again?" Henry demands angrily, jabbing his thumb at Peter.

"He's the guy who's going to help you get out of here." A new voice replies and we look up to see my father walking towards us, looking mischievous.

"W-What? You're going to help me leave? Why?" Henry asks, looking between the three of us.

"Yea, why?" I growl, glaring at my father.

"The lad is clearly going to try and get back to New York no matter what we do. Best we help him and keep him safe!" My father replies, smiling innocently.

"Even for you, this is stupid." Peter rolls his eyes and I smack his shoulder.

"Henry, follow me." My father says, ignoring Peter. As the three of us follow my father I rush ahead until I'm standing next to him.

"What's your plan? Why are you kidnapping Emma's kid?" I hiss, trying to keep my voice as low as possible so Henry doesn't overhear us.

"I'm not kidnapping him. He's in danger, serious danger. Zelena is coming after him and I have to get him away from here before she does. I'll need Pan's help to cast a protection spell on him so he can get away safely. There's no time to warn Emma." My father replies, keeping his tone low as well.

"Uh, ok… Sure… No time to warn the mother of the child you're trying to protect. Makes sense." I roll my eyes.

We arrive at the docks to see Smee with a small sailing boat. "Henry… This is my friend Mr. Smee. It just so happens that he's sailing to New York and would love the company."

"Wait, Mr. Smee? Like from _Peter Pan_?" Henry asks, smiling. Peter smirks upon hearing the mention of the movie based off of an idea of him that is horribly inaccurate.

"Y-You remember?" Mr. Smee wonders, looking surprised. He turns to my father for clarification but he simply shrugs his shoulders.

"I've seen the movie a million times." Henry replies.

"It's quite a common name in the seafaring world…" My father justifies.

"Where's your ship?" Henry asks, looking suspicious. Awkwardly Mr. Smee points at the sailing boat behind him. "You're stealing it, aren't you?"

"You want to go to New York or not?"

"Why are you helping me?" Henry asks.

Before my father can answer Mr. Smee interrupts by saying, "Captain?" Both my father and I turn our heads to look at him and then we follow his gaze to what he's looking at. In the distance a large, foreboding shape is flying towards us.

"Oh, shit." I mumble.

"Mr. Smee, we need to get the lad to the boathouse."

"Why? What's going on?" Henry still hasn't notice the threat flying towards him as he watches the rest of us shift into protective stances. Finally, he follows our gazes and his jaw drops. "Killian, what is that?"

"Now!" My father yells and the five of us run to the boathouse. Once we're inside Peter and I slam the door shut and slide the lock into place. "Mr. Smee take Henry to the far exit, over there… Find a new boat. Karina, Pan and I will stay behind to deal with our winged friends."

They start to run as more flying monkeys appear, diving towards us. I pull out my daggers and try to slash at any of them that get too close. Peter produces fire balls and throws them, incinerating them with ease. Meanwhile my father shoots shot after shot with his gun.

I hear Henry shout and I see a flying monkey flying close to him, too close. I call out his name and race towards him but I know even before I cross half the distance that I'll be too late.

 **A/N:** So, the story is almost done. There are a few chapters left… I'm not entirely sure of the amount since I don't know how long I'm going to make each chapter but it'll be around five more.

Please take a moment to review!


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Seventeen ~**

By screaming Henry's name it causes him to turn around to look at me. Only, even as he turns his head to look at me he continues running and ends up tripping on a pile of rope on the ground. He crashes to the ground as the flying monkey swoops down. I take out one of my daggers and throw it as hard as I can. I watch as it sails through the air when suddenly I hear the loud bang of a gun and the monkey disappears into thin air. My dagger sails past Henry's head and wedges itself into a post not too far behind him.

I notice Emma is standing at the other entrance of the boathouse, her gun raised. Her parents and Regina rush in behind her, David already preparing his sword to fight. He throws it over his head and it lands in the chest of one of the monkey's. Meanwhile, Regina joins Peter in throwing fire balls at the others and Emma continues to fire her gun. I run to Henry's side and help him get to his feet. He clings to my torso, looking around at the monsters as they fly overhead.

Once all the monkeys have been destroyed Emma runs over and practically rips Henry from my arms. "Are you ok?" She asks her son, her brows scrunched together worriedly. I ignore her blatant annoyance with me and walk over to the large post that my dagger is currently wedged in. I grab the hilt and place my foot on the post and pull with as much strength as I can muster. After a few times it finally comes loose.

"Damn." I say to Peter when I notice he's standing beside me. "I'm stronger than I thought." He smirks and wraps his arm around my waist. I look back at Henry and Emma and notice she's holding out the story book to him that he always used to carry around before he lost his memories.

I look at Peter to see that he's smirking at Emma. "They're about to break the curse." He whispers to me. I raise an eyebrow and take a few steps forward until I'm close enough to hear Emma whispering to her son.

"Do you believe in me?"

"Yes." Henry replies immediately, never taking his eyes off his mother.

"Then take it." She whispers with so much intensity I almost feel obligated to take the book as well.

Slowly, Henry reaches for the book and the moment it is firmly in his hands he throws his head back and looks up at the ceiling with wide eyes. I know he's remembering everything. Only after a few seconds does he look back at Emma wonderingly, "Mom?" Then he notices Regina standing off to the side and he cries out with more excitement, "Mom!"

Regina rushes around Emma and embraces her son, tears streaming down her cheeks as she's finally able to hold her child again.

"I remember!" Henry says over and over again, looking around at all the faces of his family. His smile is wide and bright until his gaze lands on Peter and terror replaces the joy. He shouts and jumps back, looking at both of his mothers for protection.

"No, no! Henry! Calm down." I exclaim, stepping in front of Peter and throwing my hands out. "He doesn't want to hurt you anymore. I swear."

"How do you know?" Henry cries and I hear Emma mutter her agreement.

"Because… He had plenty of chances to hurt you before you got your memories back… He never did. In fact, he looked for a way to get your memory back because I asked him to. He doesn't want to hurt you. I promise." I plead with him with my eyes, begging him to understand. If Henry can accept Peter, even if he doesn't fully trust him, it will go a long way with the others.

"She's right." Peter replies nonchalantly. I elbow him in his stomach and he glares at me, but he gets the message. "I promise I don't want to hurt you, Henry. If I did, I would've probably already killed you."

"Peter!" I shout, giving him an exasperated look. I turn back to face Henry, "I don't expect you to forgive or trust him… But trust me when I say that he won't hurt you. We'll be leaving soon. Now that you have your memories back there is no reason for us to stay."

"Wait… What? You're going to leave?" Henry asks, looking truly hurt. "But I just remembered you… Who you really are to me."

"I know, kid... But it's best if I leave…" I look at Emma and her parents. "Things aren't exactly the greatest right now and it would just be better if I leave. Peter makes the townspeople nervous and he won't leave without me."

"What if I could learn to forgive Pan for what he did? I'm not going to lie, it's going to take a lot of time and I'm not really sure if I'll ever be able to… But I want to try. For the sake of you staying here in Storybrooke." By pleading so desperately with me to stay tears come to my eyes. We've always been close but I never knew he'd get this upset when I decided to leave.

"It's better if they leave, Henry. You'll be safer that way." Regina says coldly and I know that no doubt Emma and her parents would've already filled her in about everything.

"We can talk about what Karina does later." Mary Margaret interjects as both Peter and I give her a look. _Because the rest of them have a say on whether or not I go? If they decide they want me to go maybe I'll stay just to spite them…_ "Right now, Emma, you need to finish breaking the curse." She nods at her grandson and I realize Emma still has to give him true love's kiss so that the curse will officially be broken.

Emma smiles at her son and just as she's about to place a kiss on his forehead he disappears in a puff of green smoke. "So sorry to interrupt." A new voice sings, though they do not sound apologetic at all.

I turn to see the Wicked Witch standing several feet away from us with Henry in her grasp, smirking wickedly. "Now who wants to say goodbye first?"

"Who are you?" Henry asks nervously as he tries to break free from her.

"You can call me auntie Zelena." She tells him, her grin growing wider.

"Enough of this." Regina says as she starts waving her arms in preparation of a spell. However, before she can actually execute the spell Zelena lifts her hand and sends her flying backwards. I hear Peter snort as he watches Regina slide across the floor on her stomach.

"Leave him alone. He has nothing to do with this." Emma orders, her expression lacking emotion as she tries desperately to reign in her feelings.

"Don't blame me. The captain failed me." Zelena snarls.

I notice all eyes turn to me and I shout in protest. "Hey! For once, I'm not the bad guy here! Most of you may not realize this, but she's been trying to kill me since day one!"

"Damn you, Zelena." My father says now that the others eyes have shifted from me to him.

"Hook, what's she talking about?" Emma asks, glancing back and forth between her enemy and her boyfriend.

"He knew what the price of that failure was." Zelena continues, ignoring Emma's personal crisis. "Your son's life!" She closes her leather covered hands around Henry's throat and laughs joyously when she hears him struggling for breath.

"Mom!" Henry gasps as Emma looks on hopelessly.

Suddenly Peter steps around me and with a wave of his hand Zelena is ripped away from Henry and lifted high into the air. He slams her against the roof of the boathouse before bringing his hand down and sending her crashing to the ground.

Emma looks at Peter, shocked before she shakes it off and yells to Henry, "RUN!" He scurries towards his mother, clutching his throat.

Zelena starts to scream furiously as she gets up. She throws out her hand like she's going to cast a spell when Peter raises one cautionary finger. "Ah, ah, ah… Remember what happened last time you tried to use your magic against me?" She takes a step back and he smirks. "I warned you that even though you're wicked… I am much worse. Now run along, Zelena."

She stands before us for a moment, seething with her hands clenched into fists before she says, "Enjoy this moment you have together… All of you! Because you don't have many left!" She turns away and in a puff of green smoke, she disappears.

"Did anyone else notice her eye was twitching? Girl has some serious problems…" I mutter though everyone but Peter and my father ignore me as they rush to hug Henry.

"You know, I did notice that." Peter replies, smirking.

"Mom! Mom!" Henry shouts as he shakes Regina. She's lying unconscious on the floor with a deep cut on her forehead.

She finally wakes up and seems relieved that Henry is standing over her, almost like she expected it all to be a dream. "Henry! I am so glad you're alright." She embraces her son, hugging him tightly. "I will never let you go away again… I love you." She smiles warmly, tears in her eyes as she cups his face and places a kiss on his forehead.

Suddenly a blast of magic goes through the air and as Mary Margaret and David embrace I realize that everyone got their memories back from the past year. Regina looks at Emma, clearly shocked that she was the one who broke the curse.

"It wasn't me. It was you." Emma mumbles, almost looking put out that she wasn't the saviour this time. She shakes her head and then turns to her parents, "Mary Margaret, David, do you remember the missing year?"

"Do you remember if that child is actually David's?" I mutter and when Peter barks out a laugh I realize I said it louder than I intended.

Everyone is glaring at me now and I almost want to hide behind Peter to get away from their angry scowls. "Yes, the child is David's… As if there was any doubt." Mary Margaret tells me angrily.

"Do you know how Zelena cast the curse?" Emma asks her mother, bringing her attention back.

"She didn't cast the curse… We did." Mary Margaret says.

"You… Cursed yourselves?" Emma asks, sounding confused.

"Of all the stupid things…" Peter mutters, earning a few more glares from the others.

"Zelena's weakness is light magic. You, Emma, are the only one who can defeat her." Mary Margaret explains.

"That's why we paid the price of Regina's curse." David finishes for her, smiling at his daughter.

"Ok, wait, hold up! Last I checked, Regina's curse needs the heart of the thing you love most… I know this for a fact because I got to conveniently experience it first hand." I cast Peter a sideway glance, pursing my lips.

"I didn't go through with it in the end!" Peter exclaims.

"Mhm." I reply, flashing him a sarcastic grin.

"I would actually like an answer to Karina's question…" Emma says, drawing everyone's attention back to her parents. Mary Margaret and David launch into the story about how their love was stronger than anything and so they were able to break Mary Margaret's heart in two and so now they share the same heart, and blah, blah, blah.

It takes everything I have not to roll my eyes and gag at their sugary sweet tones, however when I glance at Peter I'm comforted to see he's doing all of that for me. When he notices me watching he casts me a questioning look but I simply shake my head and smile.

As everyone starts to go their separate ways Emma walks up to Peter and I, her shoulders hunched and her posture awkward as she looks anywhere but the two of us. "Pan… T-Thank you… For saving Henry."

Peter tilts his head back and grins, "It's an interesting twist of irony, wouldn't you say?"

"He means 'you're welcome'." I roll my eyes.

"Don't tell people what I mean." Peter mutters. "How else am I supposed to retain my villain status?"

"How else are you going to convince Henry you don't want to kill him anymore if you keep trying to 'retain your villain status'?" I argue.

He opens his mouth to reply but wisely closes it again when he realizes that anything he says right now will just make things worse for us with the heroes. I grin, silently accepting my victory.

"Well… T-Thanks again…" Emma nods awkwardly and then walks away to talk to my father.

"God! That killed her! You could see it on her face." I giggle as Peter wraps his arm around my shoulders.

"I quite liked the saviour thanking me. I might have to save Henry more often… Maybe she'll start kissing the ground I walk on?!" His eyes go wide with fake excitement and I laugh again.

"Dream on." He leans down and gently kisses my lips, though he quickly pulls away at the sound of Emma yelling.

"She always has to yell at someone, doesn't she?" Peter sighs, watching bemusedly as Emma shouts at my father for "working with Zelena."

"So do her parents." I growl as Mary Margaret and David walk over and join them. "Come on, as if I'm going to let the heroes walk all over him." I grab his hand and hurry over to my father's side.

"We didn't send you any message." David is saying, glaring at my father.

"Well I got one! It's the truth." My father insists angrily, looking at all of their faces. "Somebody bloody well sent me the message. Who else would have an antidote? Who else would know where to find the saviour?"

The three of them look like they don't believe him. "Oh my God… I can't believe you three." I shake my head and curl my lip.

"Karina…" My father whispers a warning.

"You three will turn your back on your allies left and right with every chance you get, won't you? Anyone who doesn't declare themselves to be a hero! You did it to me and now you're doing it to my father. Why don't you, for once, trust someone when they tell you something? Are you all that screwed up from all your battles with the Evil Queen that you can't trust someone when they're telling you the truth?" Emma opens her mouth like she's going to reply but I cut her off, "You three are absolutely hopeless. Let's see how many allies you have left once you're done accusing them all of betraying you."

With that, I turn on my heel and walk away. I don't bother convincing my father to come with me. I know he'll make his own decision but at least I was able to defend him against their accusations.

Once Peter and I are outside he says, "I like that you're no longer the Charming's puppet."

"I never was their puppet." I reply, feeling annoyed.

"Really?" Peter casts me a sidelong look and I stop walking to turn and face him.

"I was never their puppet, Peter. I helped them because I thought we were friends. I thought they cared about me. But the first chance they got they turned around and stabbed me in the back and killed you. Now I see them for who they really are… They would never help me because I mean nothing to them. So I'm going to make sure they mean nothing to me." Peter seems shocked by my outburst and when he doesn't say anything I continue walking along the dock, heading straight for where I know my ship is hidden.

"You know, it's ok if you still care about them. Even if they did kill me and betray you… Because that's just the kind of person that you are." Peter says as he catches up to me. "I mean, I tortured you for years and you stuck around… Because you cared about me. You put up with my temper tantrums and games because you cared about the lost boys… It doesn't make you a bad person to care about someone. Even if they've hurt you."

"Peter, trust me when I say… I do not care about them anymore. Emma, her parents, Regina… They're all dead to me. The _only_ reason I am still helping them is for Henry. Now that he has his memories back, we'll be leaving… Quickly." We have finally reached my ship and I throw some sand onto the ladder to remind myself where it is. I ascend the ladder as fast as possible, eager to get away from the conversation.

As soon as I plant my two feet firmly on deck I hear, "Captain! You're back!" Drake walks towards me, grinning widely with his arms outstretched. "We've almost finished preparing to set sail… All I need to know is a destination."

I look at Peter. "Neverland." He says for me.

"So we are going back there." I say, surprised.

"Of course. It is our home. Besides, there are still some lost boys who stayed behind when the heroes left… The ones who are still loyal to me."

"Oh, I'm sure someone's already taken leadership over there. Especially when you never came back." Felix says as he joins us.

"All the more reason to go back and reclaim our home." Peter smiles wickedly.

"All due respect, Captain, I don't think some of the men will be happy living in Neverland. They want the riches and infamy you promised them many years ago." Drake looks uncomfortable mentioning it to me but I appreciate his honesty.

"I know. Neverland is just the first stop. We won't be staying long." Peter looks at me quizzically but thankfully doesn't say anything in front of the others.

Suddenly my phone rings and I look down to see I got a text from Emma. "You've got to be kidding me!" I growl.

"What's wrong?" Felix asks as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"'Karina, I know we've had our issues, but I am begging you and Pan to help me now. Mary Margaret just went into labour… We think Zelena will be coming for their child. Please come help protect them. Emma.'". I shake my head angrily as I shove my phone back into my pocket. "Unbelievable."

"Maybe we should go help." Drake says quietly. Peter, Felix and I all turn to stare at him incredulously.

"Seriously?" Felix asks, his brows raised into his hairline. "After everything they've done? They want to ask for help now?"

"It makes sense. So far, Peter is the only one who's shown he's more powerful than Zelena. Of course, they want his help but they won't ask him directly." I snort. "Hypocrites."

"I'm not saying we should help the heroes, because believe me, I know they don't deserve it… But that baby is innocent. Obviously, the wicked witch has something sinister planned. It would be cruel to leave the child to whatever fate she has in mind." Drake looks directly at me as he speaks, ignoring both Felix and Peter.

I want to say no regardless because I would love to turn my back on Emma when she needs me but I know Drake is right. Whatever the others have done, the baby is innocent and doesn't deserve whatever is coming to them.

I sigh heavily and throw my head back, glancing at Peter. "It's your choice." He tells me though I can tell by the amusement in his eyes he already knows what I'm going to pick.

"Fine. We'll play the good guys for a day." I grumble.

"How the tables have turned." Felix mutters wryly.

"Drake, give the order to the crew… We're going to the hospital." I say. He nods, a large grin on his tanned face before he sets off to give out my orders. "I guess it's time for the villains to save the day."

…

My crew and I arrive at the hospital, decked out in armor and black clothing. We look like a fierce army, arriving for battle. The hospital staff notices all our weapons and a few of their mouths drop open. One very brave, yet also very stupid nurse approaches us. "Um, you can't bring those weapons in here."

"Oh, we most certainly can." I reply with a wink.

"B-But, this is a hospital. We have patients in delicate condition here… Not to mention I'm pretty sure you're all a bunch of pirates." The nurse mutters, looking all of us up and down.

"Oh, wow, give the man a gold star!" Drake smirks as he flexes his biceps, eager to show off.

"We're here to protect this hospital from a very nasty threat. I suggest you shut up and sit back down." I say, my patience wearing thin. The nurse opens his mouth to protest. "Now." Immediately he shuts his mouth and goes to sit behind the desk again. "Good boy."

We continue to the woman and child section of the hospital. Upon our arrival I notice Regina, Robin Hood, Henry and a few others are standing in the hall. "The cavalry has arrived." Peter calls, throwing his arms out as he smirks.

"Where's Emma?" I ask no one in particular.

"Went to deal with the Wicked Witch." Regina replies.

"Wait, Emma called us here because she said the Wicked Witch was coming for the baby. But now you're telling me that Emma went off to defeat her? Why are we here?"

"For extra protection for the baby. We're going to need all the help we can get." Regina says as she looks disapprovingly at Peter, Felix and my crew.

"And my father? Did he go with Emma?" I ask.

"Yes, he did." Regina replies evenly.

"Of course he did." I roll my eyes. "Hate to say it about my own father, but the man is whipped."

"I'm glad you said it." Peter grins.

I turn to my crew. "Station yourselves at all entrances of the hospital. Do _not_ let the Wicked Witch in." They each nod their heads and then break off into pairs as they all head in different directions, no doubt in search of the different entrances of the hospital. "Drake, take Henry and Dr. Hopper, keep them safe."

"Aye, aye Captain. C'mon, kid." Drake claps Henry on the back so hard he almost falls forward. "Oops… Sorry." The three of them set off down the hallway, leaving Felix, Peter, Regina and myself.

"Emma and I put up some magical wards around the room… No one with dark magic should be able to get in or out." Regina explains as we hear a commotion down the hall, no doubt Zelena coming for the baby. I can't help but wonder what happened with Emma and my father if Zelena is here and they're not.

"And you're sure they're strong enough to actually keep someone out?" Peter asks, sounding unconvinced.

"Yes." Regina sounds annoyed but I see the uncertainty.

"Well then, why don't I test it out?" Peter asks and walks towards the room. He gets far enough to put his hand on the door knob before he turns to look at Regina. "Is it inside the room?"

"You… Already walked through it." She mutters sheepishly.

Peter rolls his eyes. "Wonderful. I didn't even feel a tickle."

"Guys… She's here." I say just as Zelena and Gold round the corner.

"Take another step and I'll roast you." Regina says, lifting her arms to cast a spell.

"Oh please." Zelena lifts her hand as well and sends Regina flying backwards. She crashes into a wall and lands on the floor, unconscious. Once Zelena is satisfied that Regina is out cold she turns her cold gaze to Peter. "Pay back for what you did at the boathouse." Then, working as one Gold and Zelena both step forward and raise their arms at the exact same time. Peter goes flying out the window, crashing through the glass and disappearing out of sight.

"Peter!" I shout. I'm tempted to run after him but a powerful wave of magic knocks me into a wall and I surrender to darkness.

 **A/N:** There is probably about two more chapters and an epilogue left. I am ending this story quite a bit earlier than I planned. Originally, I was planning roughly twenty-five to thirty chapters for this story but I went back to school last week and I'm going to be so ridiculously busy for the next few months that I hardly have time to write. It isn't fair to leave you guys waiting weeks on end for new chapters. I already feel guilty… So it's best I end this story sooner rather than later.

Please take a moment to review!


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Eighteen ~**

"Karina… Karina… Hey, Karina… Wake up." The familiar voice slowly pulls me out of the darkness until I finally open my eyes, only to be greeted by dark green orbs staring back at me. I blink a few times and shake my head to clear it as I feel a nasty headache starting to come on. "Welcome back." Peter stretches out his hand and helps me to my feet.

"What happened?" I mutter, rubbing the back of my head. "I saw you get thrown out a window and that was it…"

"Boy, did you miss a lot." Peter smirks. I raise an eyebrow and gesture for him to explain. "After Zelena knocked you out she took Snow White and Prince Charming's son. But apparently, that wasn't all that she took. She also stole the saviour's magic. So now the Evil Queen is going to try using white magic to defeat her and get the child back." Judging by the look on Peter's face he clearly thinks it's a waste of time.

"Where's Drake and Felix?" I ask, looking around and noticing that they're both surprisingly missing.

"I sent them back to the ship. If Zelena is going to cast her spell we need to be as far away from Storybrooke as we possibly can be." Peter replies.

"Probably the best plan." I mumble. I grab his hand and head towards the exit when Emma steps in my path.

"Karina, where are you going?" She asks, though I can tell she already knows the answer.

"We're getting out of this town before we get swallowed up in whatever the Wicked Witch is planning. We tried to stop her, we failed. Now we're getting the hell out of dodge." I shrug my shoulders and try to step around her. However, every step I take she matches so she's constantly in my way. Finally, I stop and give her a dark and angry look. "Emma, get the hell out of my way."

"It's not over until we get my brother back. Now we may not be on the best of terms right now but I know you. You won't leave an innocent baby to be sacrificed simply because you're mad at the rest of us. I'm asking you for your help one last time." She waits a few moments, studying my expression and then whispers, "Please."

I look back at Peter, but his expression conveys nothing. Finally, I sigh and say, "Fine. We'll help you one last time. If this spell happens and we get trapped in it though, you better hope I never snap out of it." I point my finger at her chest and then storm around her, following Regina out the door.

Using a tracking spell, Regina manages to track her sister down to an old, abandoned barn in the middle of nowhere. I can hear Zelena talking to someone, who I can only assume would be Gold, as she promises when everything is over he won't remember anything.

"It's not over yet!" Emma announces as our group consisting of my father, Regina, Robin Hood, Emma, David, Peter and myself enter the barn.

"Who's going to stop me? Certainly not the saviour." Zelena replies haughtily.

My eyes go wide as I take in the colourful magic all converging in the center. I notice the newborn baby in a wire basket with blue magic flowing from him as he kicks his feet in the air and cries.

Emma also seems to notice her brother because she whispers to her father, "Go, get him. We've got your back."

"And I've got your heart." Robin Hood whispers to Regina. I almost do a double take as I notice them exchange a longing look. I hadn't realized they were a thing, but I suppose that would explain why Regina hasn't been so uptight lately.

As David runs for his child, I follow him with my swords out to cover his back. Robin Hood goes to one side with his crossbow ready and aimed at the Wicked Witch. Meanwhile Emma, my father and Peter slowly approach her and Gold from the other side. Regina stays in the middle as she closes in on her sister.

"Rid me of these pests!" Zelena tells Gold as she lifts her hand and sends David, Robin and I into a stack of hay bales.

"Please… No more water." My father says charmingly, his sword raised. I wonder what he means, but realize I don't have the time to question it.

"Get the dagger and the Dark One will be on your side." Gold insists, flicking his wrist and sending the others flying.

"That's easier said than done." Emma groans from the ground.

"Do as I say, or I will destroy you all, I have no choice." With another flick of his wrist he sends them flying backwards again.

"Come for another beating, sis?" Zelena asks Regina, her brows raised.

"No, I came for some jewelry." Regina replies and reaches out for the dark green amulet Zelena seems to always be wearing. However, she must've expected it because with a nod of her head Regina flies backwards until she's almost outside the barn.

"Beautiful one, a little assistance?" Zelena asks, gesturing towards one of the flying monkeys hanging around the ceiling. It descends on us and David pushes Robin out of the way as it strikes at the two of us with its sharp claws.

I growl and swing my sword, but it flies higher before I can attack. "Remember, these are our friends." Robin warns me.

"They may be yours but they sure as hell aren't mine." I snarl and as the monkey descends again I raise my sword and manage to strike it's wing, causing it to howl out in pain.

Suddenly I'm thrown back into the hay bail again and as I crumble to the ground I bite my tongue hard, drawing blood. I spit it out onto the muddy floor and say, "I'm really getting sick of being thrown around!"

Once seeing we're all on the ground Zelena uses her magic to lock her sister in a chokehold as she slowly lifts her off the ground. "Only light magic can harm me and you're as dark as they come! You were destined to be this way, and it will also be your undoing!"

"Don't… Tell me… What I can be!" Regina struggles to say.

"I tried to be good once, but it wasn't in the cards. This is who I am, and it's who you are!" Zelena's eye is starting to twitch again as her voice gets louder and louder.

I notice Robin Hood has snuck behind Zelena and Gold and he's now holding something glowing in his hand. Upon further inspection I realize it's a heart and as he shows it to Regina I realize it's hers.

"You're wrong, sis." Regina grins triumphantly as she spreads out her palms and light magic starts to pour out of it.

"What are you doing?" Zelena asks, her posture relaxing as she becomes more and more confused.

"Changing." Regina smirks and with a blast of magic she sends Zelena flying, and the Dark One dagger sails through the air. Regina falls back to the ground now that Zelena's magic no longer has a hold on her. She sashays over to her sister, a large grin on her face.

"How?" Zelena asks, clearly flabbergasted.

"I make my own destiny." She replies simply and then pulls the green amulet away from Zelena's neck.

Almost like a connection has been broken Zelena starts to gasp and collapses to the ground as green magic flows from her every pore. As Zelena's magic leaves her, the magic in the barn that was converging at the center disappears as well, leaving David to pick up his son.

But then that blasted flying monkey comes flying towards David again, screeching loudly. David simply looks annoyed as he turns around with his sword raised and just as he's about to stab the creature in the chest it turns into a big man with curly brown hair and matching beard.

"Little John! You're back!" Robin Hood exclaims cheerfully, a large grin on his face. David, however, could seem to care less about Little John as he moves him out of the way and approaches his crying newborn son.

"David? The baby? Is he ok?" Emma asks nervously as she rushes to her father's side.

"Yea. He can handle anything." David smiles adoringly at his child. "Just like his big sister." He and Emma start to leave the barn when Regina's voice stops them.

"You failed… You're not going anywhere." She smiles wickedly.

"I beg to differ." Gold replies as he drags Zelena towards him. "I'm going to make you pay for everything you've done to me."

"What are you waiting for? Just do it!" Zelena cries, looking defeated. While everyone is busy staring at the two of them I notice the Dark One's dagger is still lying on the ground. I slowly look around and see that even Peter's attention is caught up with the event unfolding before him.

I take a few steps towards the dagger and pick it up. I turn it over and over in my hands, inspecting the ancient designs and the name etched into the silver blade. "Hm, this is an interesting turn of events." I muse aloud and just like that; the entire room is put on pause. Slowly, everyone turns to stare at me, eyes wide and afraid. Peter, however, looks unsurprised and even a little proud.

"Karina…" My father says nervously.

"Relax everybody, I'm not about to order the Dark One to kill you all. I may be a villain but I'm not that heartless." I roll my eyes.

"Then what do you want with my dagger?" Gold asks angrily, his eyes narrowed.

"It must really suck for you, being super powerful but still controlled by a dagger." I smirk. "Regardless, I need you to do something for me… When you do it, you'll get it back."

"And that is?" He snarls, his teeth gnashed together.

"When you killed Peter, you bound yourselves together. So, when Neal and Belle brought you back to life, they also, unknowingly, brought Peter back. But you two are still bound. Peter needs you to agree to unbind yourself from him so that we can all go on our merry way! We'll go back to Neverland you can have this town, or the Enchanted Forest or wherever you and Belle choose to settle down, I really don't care." I shrug my shoulders as I toss the dagger back and forth in my hands.

"And that's all? I find that hard to believe." He snorts.

"Believe it or don't, I don't really care. You all seem to have gotten this picture in your heads that I'm this awful villain who wants to sacrifice your children to some powerful god or something. But really, all I want is to go home and get away from here. Do this, you get your dagger back and we'll stay gone for good." I smile sweetly. "Besides, it's not like you have a choice. I'm making it sound like a negotiation but it's really not. As long as I hold this," I show him the dagger, "You have to do whatever I say."

"Fine. We'll go as soon as I'm finished here." Gold raises his hand again to strike at Zelena.

"Mmm, I'd rather you didn't." I say and immediately he's thrown back. "You see, as much as she deserves a slow and painful death for everything she's done… I have a feeling Regina has something that's much worse in mind. Seeing as they're sisters I think it's her right to do it too." I shrug my shoulders as he gives me a loathsome look. "Shall we go?" I walk across the barn and past all the others whose mouths are hanging up with shock. "Are you coming?" I ask Peter and he smirks and starts to follow me but says nothing.

As we walk away from the barn Gold asks, "Just how exactly are you and I going to unbind ourselves?"

"It's actually a very simple spell, I wouldn't expect you to get it, though. After all, you _are_ the weaker one of the two of us." Peter smirks and I don't even have to turn around to know that Gold is giving is brother a scathing look.

 _Ah, sibling rivalry at its finest…_

….

We arrive back at Gold's shop and Peter quickly gets to work creating a potion as Gold sits in a corner and watches his brother through narrowed eyes. Meanwhile, I am sitting on a stool, twirling the dagger around on the glass counter in front of me. While watching Peter create a potion is _fascinating_ (please note the sarcasm)I am bored out of my mind.

"Alright, it's almost done. All I need is a few drops of your blood." Peter says, and reaches out a plain looking knife to his brother.

"Why would I give you my blood?" Gold asks suspiciously, lifting his chin slightly in a challenging way.

"Because it's needed to complete the spell. Once you've dropped your blood in, I'll put in some of mine and we'll both drink it. The bind holding our lives together will be broken and I won't have to worry about you dying and killing me by default!" Peter explains impatiently. I know he's been waiting for this moment for a long time and to have it so close yet being dangled so far by his stubborn brother must be maddening.

"Who's to say I don't kill myself now and put an end to both our lives? It would end a lot of suffering." Gold muses.

"That's why I have this." I dangle the dagger in the air and smile.

"Also, we all know you're too much of a coward to do it. Just give me your damn blood, Rumple. This will all be over soon." Peter growls. I can see some of that legendary anger of his coming to the surface. I have barely seen it since being woken from the curse, and yet seeing it now reminds me just how scary he can be when he is angry.

"If this is some kind of trick, the first thing I will do once I get my dagger back is kill you both with it." Gold threatens as he slowly approaches his brother and takes the knife. He cuts a thin slice across his palm and drops the blood into the vial. Then he hands it to Peter and he does the same. As his last few drops of blood hit the liquid inside the vial it starts to glow a soft green colour. Peter swirls the liquid around a little and then hands it to his brother.

"Down the hatch."

Gold eyes it warily for a moment and then takes a long swig of the liquid. He drinks just enough to leave half of it for Peter. He takes it and drinks the other half, then he drops the vial onto the table and stares at his brother.

"That's it?" I ask. "I didn't see anything magical happen."

"Probably because he did it wrong." Gold replies angrily.

Peter scoffs. "I did it right, you probably just didn't drink it right."

"How is that even possible?" Gold demands. The two brothers start to argue back and forth, shouting angrily at the other. I'm just about to intervene when suddenly both of them jerk backwards, their eyes wide.

Peter cries out and Gold groans as suddenly their bodies start to tremble and they fall to their knees. Some sort of magic leaves their body and disappears into the floorboards as they both collapse to the ground, breathing hard.

"Peter, are you ok?!" I ask nervously, jumping from the stool and rubbing his back.

"Yea, I think it's safe to say that the spell worked…" Peter mumbles as he shakes his head.

"Now that the spell worked… My dagger?" Gold holds out his hand expectantly. Peter gets to his feet as I take the dagger out of my belt loop.

"You know, I think I'm going to give it to Belle instead. She can decide what to do with it." I'm busy inspecting the intricately designed dagger when I hear Gold snarl.

"We had a deal!"

"We had no such thing. I told you that you'd get your dagger back. Didn't say when or how. Who knows? Maybe Belle will give it directly back to you? Maybe she won't? Either way, I don't really care. But I know this dagger will be in far better hands than your own." I smirk and as Peter and I start to leave Gold's shop he lunges at me.

I raise the dagger in the air and say, "Sit boy." He immediately crashes to the ground and I throw my head back, laughing.

…

I send a text to Belle asking her to meet me at my ship as Peter and I make our way across town. "This is great!" I laugh and throw my arms out. Peter watches me twirl in the streets, clearly amused. "You're no longer bound to your brother, I no longer have any responsibilities in this town. We are going to set out, head back to Neverland and have some fun!"

"What game will we play first?" Peter asks with a twinkle in his eyes, but I'm sure he already knows what game I'm going to pick.

"Hide and seek." I whisper against his ear and then press my lips to his. He runs his fingers through my hair and then pulls me closer by my waist. A thrill runs through me as the level of intensity between us rises.

"What will be my prize when I win?" He whispers back, his voice husky.

"Hmm, I guess you'll have to wait and see?" I raise my brows suggestively and Peter's grin turns wicked. "But don't think I'm going to go easy on you… If I win I expect the best prize ever."

"Oh, trust me. It will be." Peter breathes and then crashes his lips to mine. Just as I'm about to deepen the kiss someone clears their throat behind us, jerking us apart.

I turn to see my father standing there, looking incredibly awkward but also determined. I raise an eyebrow and pull away from Peter, slowly approaching my father. "What's up, papa?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" He asks, looking pointedly at Peter. Being the smart boy that he is, Peter immediately understands the look and raises his hands in surrender and slowly backs up, giving us privacy.

"What's up?" I say again once Peter is far enough away.

"Are you really leaving for Neverland soon?" He asks, looking hurt. He shoves his good hand in his pocket and holds his hook close to his chest.

"It's not like it was a secret." I mumble, kicking at a rock near my foot. The tension in the air makes me uncomfortable and I wish we didn't need to have this conversation. Obviously, it is necessary, especially if we don't see each other again, but it doesn't change the fact that I've been dreading this moment for a very long time.

"No, but I didn't actually think you would leave for good. I thought Storybrooke was your home." He replies quietly, his gaze intense as he searches for any sort of clue that I might be lying to him.

"Neverland is my home. It has been for almost two hundred years. It's time for me to go home… For Peter and Felix to go home too… Besides, it's best we leave. We just make the townspeople nervous. Emma and her parents especially." I shrug my shoulders at the simple fact of what I'm saying. I know it must be difficult for him to see me go, it's painful for me to leave him, but there's a heavy truth in me no longer being welcome in Storybrooke.

"It won't be like that forever. Eventually they'll get used to you again. It'll just take time. Look at me… They hated me in the beginning." He tries to give me his usual charming smile but it's ruined by the pain in his eyes.

"Maybe not, but eventually something will happen and everything will blow up in our faces. Besides, I miss Neverland and all the fun and games. Everything's too serious here." I make a pouty face, hoping it'll elicit a smile from him, but no such luck.

"If you want to go, I won't stop you. It's going to hurt like hell to watch you leave after finding you again, but if it's what makes you happy, I'll just have to accept it. Just promise me one thing." He lifts his index finger and holds it close to his face.

"Anything." I say immediately.

"Promise me that this won't be the last time we see each other."

His request startles me but I'm not entirely surprised. I look back at Peter who is staring up at the sky with his hands shoved in his pockets. I can only imagine what he would think of regular visits from my father. Though they do seem to be getting along a little bit since everything's happened… Only slightly. I turn back to my father and smile, "Of course. We'll see each other again, papa. I promise."

For the first time I notice his eyes are wet with unshed tears. Upon hearing my promise one of the tears escapes, falling down his cheek. He embraces me tightly and for what could be the last time for a very long time I breathe in the smell of leather and rum. Being held tightly by my father brings on my own set of tears and I tighten my hold on him. For a moment, I don't want to let him go, but I know I have to.

When we pull away and he sees my tears he brushes them away with his thumb, smiling sadly. "I love you, Karina."

"I love you too, papa." I whisper, wiping at my cheeks.

He looks over my head at Peter who is looking over at us. "Take care of her."

"Always." Peter nods his head and for a moment a bond forms between them as they look at each other. But then my father turns away and the bond is broken.

As I watch my father walk away Peter joins me, noticing my tears he asks, "Are you ok?"

"No…" I sigh heavily. "But I will be."

He nods his head and says nothing, waiting until I'm ready before gently steering me towards the direction of my ship. When we arrive, Belle is already waiting for us. She watches Peter nervously and he seems to get that his presence isn't exactly welcome.

Without acknowledging his brother's girlfriend, he climbs the rope ladder up to the deck of my ship. The moment he disappears from sight Belle breathes a sigh of relief and then immediately looks sheepish. "Sorry." She says. "I don't mean to insult your boyfriend or anything."

"Don't worry about it." I smirk. "I imagine Rumplestiltskin has the same effect on people that his brother does." Belle laughs as she realizes I'm right. I pull the Dark One dagger out from my belt loop and hand it to her. "I figured you'd be the safest person to give this to. Give it back to Gold or keep it for yourself. I don't care what happens to it, or him. But I figured you would care very much."

"I do… Thank you, Karina." Belle smiles. She's about to turn away when something stops her. "For what it's worth? I've never seen you as the villain."

I raise an eyebrow, surprised. "You're sweet. But I'm very much the villain, always has been and always will be."

"We'll see." Belle replies cryptically, smiling secretively. I furrow my brows as I watch her walk away. I'm almost tempted to call her back and ask her what she means, but I'm sure I wouldn't get much of a reply.

Once she disappears from sight I'm about to climb up the rope ladder when Peter jumps down, looking strange. "What's wrong?" I ask immediately.

"Something's very wrong… But I don't know what." He replies, not really focusing on me as he starts walking away from the ship.

"Oh great." I mutter and follow him. "How do you know something is wrong?" I ask once I've caught up to him.

"I can feel it. Whatever Zelena did earlier… It isn't over. We thought it was… But it isn't." He almost seems like he's in a trance as he hurries through the streets of Storybrooke. I can barely keep up with his long strides and by the time we get to our destination I'm huffing.

I look up and see we're once again at the abandoned barn. "Oh no." I grumble. "Can't we catch a break?" I peer inside the barn and see that other than the strange symbol Zelena had dug in the dirt earlier, the barn looks completely normal. "What could be wrong? Everything looks normal to me." I walk further into the barn, looking around.

"There's a lot of power, just sitting in here… But I don't know where it's hiding." Peter mutters, slowly approaching me. As our arms brush against each other a huge surge of light shoots up from the strange symbol, crashing through the roof of the barn and soaring into the sky.

Both of us snap our heads back to watch it reach higher and higher, our jaws gaping. Then, I feel something pull at me and I look ahead to see the magic is trying to pull me closer, towards a portal that has opened up. "Peter?" I ask nervously. Before he can respond the magic jerks me forward I fall to the ground and I'm dragged across the dirt. I hear Peter shout my name and then a tight grip on my arm jerks me backwards. I look back into Peter's intense green eyes. For the first time ever, I see fear.

And then the magic that has a hold on me tugs me harder, knocking Peter off balance and it drags us both into the portal.

 **A/N:** Mid-terms are finally over and I'm on a break from school for the next week. I'm going to finish this story in the next week so it'll be done by the time I go back. That way there will be no more waiting forever for updates… It'll also mean this story is done, but all good things must come to an end! So, a new update will be posted in a few days.

Please take a moment to review!


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Chapter Nineteen ~**

The portal opens and spits us out into a forest. I grunt as my body collides with the ground and I roll across the grass. I feel Peter's body hit mine, bringing us both to a stop. With a loud moan I spit out the dirt that I accidentally ate when hitting the ground and sit up. I rub the back of my head and peer up at the tall trees looming over us. Sunlight streams down through the leaves, telling me it's the middle of the day.

Peter gets to his feet, brushing off his pants and then gives me his hand to help me up. "Any idea where we are?" I ask curiously. It looks like just any forest but something tells me this place holds some kind of significance to Zelena, why else would the portal bring us here?

Peter gives me a strange look. "I figured out of the two of us you would recognize your birth place sooner than I would."

"Wait… We're in the Enchanted Forest?" I shriek, my eyes going wide as I take in the forest around us with a new view. "Why would the portal take us to the Enchanted Forest? I figured if anything it would take us to Oz."

"No, Zelena wanted to change the past by being the one Rumplestiltskin chose to train instead of Regina. Of course, we'd come back here… This is where it all began." Peter seems annoyed by the whole thing.

"Sorry I got us sucked into a portal." I mutter quietly, kicking at the dirt with the toe of my leather boot.

"Don't apologize." Peter snorts. "I think it was both of us that opened it accidentally. We would've been sucked in regardless."

"What do you mean?" I ask curiously.

"When we touched back at that barn the portal immediately opened. I think it needed some huge boost of magic to open… True love is pretty big magic." Peter explains as he slowly walks around, taking in the sights around him.

"Ok, well how do we get back? It's not like there's any portals around here just waiting for our true love." I cross my arms over my chest. Last place I want to be is the Enchanted Forest… Especially the Enchanted Forest of the past.

"No… That's going to be the tricky part. I can probably get us back, but it's going to take some time and a lot of preparations. Which means we'll have to venture into the past of the Enchanted Forest… I can't imagine this will end well once people see us. We can't be that far in the past if Zelena wanted to change the future." Peter scratches the back of his next. "I'm going to have to give ourselves some disguises… Then we'll have to sneak into my brother's castle and steal the ingredients I need to get us out of here."

"Oh, because that will be easy." I grumble. "I've heard what Gold did to trespassers in his castle… It was never pretty."

"Scared, Karina?" Peter grins playfully, raising a challenging brow.

"No." I roll my eyes. "Just… Apprehensive."

"Ah, yes… Apprehensive is completely different from fear." Peter replies mockingly. I roll my eyes again and lift my middle finger, making my displeasure evident. Peter simply laughs and then waves his hand at me. I realize he's casting a spell and then I feel a jolt go through me. "Well, I was right about you looking good as a red head." Peter grins mischievously.

"Wait, what?" I demand and then rush to a nearby pond. I stare down at my reflection to see someone else staring back at me. I jump back for a moment and then creep closer, intrigued. The girl staring back at me has wild, waist length red hair, stormy grey eyes and a splatter of freckles across her nose and cheekbones. She appears to be the same body type and height as I've always been. My clothes have changed too. I find myself wearing the same clothes I used to wear when I was travelling the world as a pirate. I turn to Peter with raised brows.

"What? You look good. You have to admit it." Peter grins. Then he gestures to himself and he changes before my eyes. Like me, he stays the same height and build, but his once blonde hair is now dark brown and his green eyes have changed to an icy blue. His face is more angular, giving him a hawkish appearance.

"Hm, so do you." I grin and he answers with his own smile. "I guess we'll have to come with code names in case we run into anyone? I can't call you Peter and you can't call me Karina."

Peter snorts. "Don't worry, we won't run into anyone. Come on." He tilts his head, gesturing for me to follow him. We make our way through the forest, neither of us saying anything as we take in the world around us. It's so strange being back, even if it is in the past. I wonder at what point in history we've found ourselves in.

Suddenly a ringing phone pierces the silence of the forest. We stop and Peter whirls around to stare at me. I pull my phone out of my pocket and stare at it, completely dumbfounded. "How is this thing even getting reception out here?!" I glance at the caller ID and see my father is calling me. I silence the call and shove the phone back into my pocket.

"You're not going to answer it?" Peter asks as we continue on our way.

"And tell him what? 'Hey dad, yea, Peter and I got ourselves trapped in the past. But don't worry, we'll be home soon!' No thanks." I mutter. I can only imagine his reaction if we had that conversation.

"Good point." Peter agrees and once again we fall into silence.

After a while of walking I can smell sea salt in the air. I lift my head and take in a deep breath. "We're close to the ocean." I mumble more to myself than to him.

"That's not the only thing we're close to." Peter replies as he reaches a gap in the trees. He seems surprised and I hurry to his side to see what he's looking at. My jaw drops when I see what he does.

"That's… My ship." I mutter, dumbfounded. Sure enough, the ship that I considered to be home for many years sits in the harbor, rocking gently on the waves of the ocean. I can hear the bustle of the crew working as they prepare to set sail. On the shoreline stands someone I never thought I would see other than looking in the mirror.

It's me.

I can tell by the outfit and the cruel twist to her mouth it's the pirate me. The one who was a ruthless killer and thief. The one that I've tried so very hard to suppress. The villainous part of me.

"That's you." Peter mutters, looking surprised to see me. After all, this must be a part of the time when I was hiding from him. When I broke our deal and decided to stay away from Neverland longer.

"That is me…" I reply, staring at my past self with wide eyes.

"You look pretty good." Peter says, looking impressed.

I stare at him angrily and then smack him as hard as I can on the back of the head. "I always look good!" I hiss.

Peter rubs the back of his head and glares at me. "You know what I mean." He grumbles. He looks back at the beach and his expression drains. "Where did she… You… Go?"

"Huh?" I ask and swivel my head around to see that I… She… Did disappear. "I don't know. Where did she go so quickly?" My eyes scan the length of the beach, looking for any indication of where she may have gone.

Suddenly I feel a something cold press against the back of my neck and I freeze. "Why don't you look behind you?" A voice, so familiar, asks sweetly. However, the sweetness is poisoned by the bitter edge.

"Oh… Crap." I mutter, staring wide eyed at Peter as he also slowly turns around, his hands raised in surrender. I also slowly turn to face my past self, though I avoid eye contact because I'm afraid she'll somehow recognize me, even if Peter changed our appearances.

"Who are you? And why are you watching me?" She demands angrily, her blue eyes narrowed as she takes a step closer and places both hands on the hilt of her blade for better control.

"So much for not running into anyone, huh?" I ask Peter quietly, looking at him out of the corner of my eyes. Although I can barely see him I know he's giving me a scathing look in return.

"Um, I'm… Nova, and this is my friend… Zach." I say quickly, only to earn another annoyed look from Peter. "We weren't really watching you… We were just out for a walk and saw your beautiful ship. We just wanted to take a quick look and then we were going to be on our way!" I try to smile as convincingly as I can but I know she's not falling for it. Even though she's me from the past I know exactly what she's thinking. She thinks we're spies sent by Peter, coming to drag her back.

"Is that so?" She asks slyly, slowly retracting her blade. "Well, if you think it's so pretty why don't you come get a closer look? I'd be happy to give you a tour." The dark look on her face tells me that is exactly where we _don't_ want to go.

"You know, I think we're good. We'll just go and you can go back to your… Life." I swallow thickly, surprisingly nervous when dealing with my past self. I guess even though she's me, there's no guarantee I'd make it out alive if I were to fight her. I may know how she thinks but right now she's in the best shape I've ever been. She can probably fight better than ever and she's as ruthless as I've ever been. If we get in a fight I know she'll win and because I look nothing like her, there's no indication to her that we're the same. Which means I'll be dead before I hit the ground.

Peter won't be able to do anything either. I was always able to tell Peter's magic apart from anyone's. That's what happens when you spend so much time with a boy whose games revolve around his magical abilities. Peter knows this too, judging by the look on his face. If he knocks her out with his magic or even knocks her back, he runs the risk of her detecting his magic and blowing our cover.

"Oh. That's cute… You think you had a choice." She smiles evilly just as Drake jumps from the trees, attacking Peter. Karina attacks me, the hilt of her dagger out, and with a knock to the head my world goes dark.

…

I'm woken to water being thrown in my face. I gasp and cough, trying to get the water out of my mouth. I look around, breathing hard and see I'm tied to one of the large support beams on the boat. I look beside me and tied to another support beam not too far from me is Peter. He's watching the pirates around him bemusedly.

"Oh, good. You're awake." She deadpans as though she didn't just throw water into my face. She sets down the bucket next to me and crosses her arms over her chest, smirking. Drake flanks her side, and it's almost a shock for me not to see his easy-going grin. But then I remembered I'm in disguise and Drake always put up a tough front in front of others.

"Yea, I'm a little wet too, you wouldn't happen to know how that happened would you?" I ask sarcastically and her smirk grows wider.

"No, not at all." She replies casually and I hear Peter snort. We both look at him and I can already tell what he's thinking: _you two are definitely the same person._

"Mind explaining why we're tied to these posts?" I inquire, bringing her attention back to me.

She leans down in front of me and her smile turns wicked. "I've brought you here to torture you, of course. I want to know why you're following me and who sent you."

"Relax. Peter Pan didn't send us." Peter interrupts before I can say anything and I watch her go completely rigid. Drake stares at Peter curiously, but doesn't say anything.

She walks over to Peter and gets in his face, her teeth bared. "How do you know about him? Hm? No one knows about him unless they work for him."

"While that may be true, I can assure you Peter Pan did not send us." Peter replies easily as he grins at her. I'm sure he's loving messing with my past self, especially regarding his own past self.

In an instant she whips out a dagger and presses it to the corner of his eye. I lunge against the ropes, staring wide eyed as Peter remains completely calm. Drake takes out his sword and points it at my chest, tsking softly as he pretends to give me a disapproving look.

"Go ahead." I hear Peter say, his eyes wild as he leans into the blade. It cuts the corner of his eye and blood drips down his face. My past self watches him carefully as she tries to understand his motives. I'm sure she's thinking the craziest person she's met is Peter Pan and yet she has no idea he's seated before her.

Suddenly we hear an explosion and the ship rocks back and forth. "Enemy attack!" A member of the crew yells. I realize that I remember this attack. It was the only one that ever blindsided us, and they managed to shoot us with a few cannon balls, destroying one side of my ship and almost sinking it.

"Damn it!" My past self yells, she steps away from Peter and completely forgets about us as she rushes to the side to check out the damage. I turn my head and see an enemy pirate ship passing us. A few of the crew members from the enemy ship use rope to swing themselves over onto our ship.

My past self and crew immediately engage the intruders and the clashing of metal swords rings out in the air. Shouting can also be heard as some of the pirates do warrior cries as they charge into the fight. I watch my past self fighting a man twice her size and yet she seems to be having no difficulty. For a moment I'm proud of myself and how well I used to fight.

"Karina!" Peter shouts and both my past self and I look as one of the enemies throws a dagger at my head. I scream and I'm just barely able to duck as the knife continues to soar through the air, just grazing over my head.

"We have to get out of here." I call to Peter. "We're like sitting ducks."

Peter seems to agree because suddenly his hands are free as the rope falls uselessly to the ground. He wipes at the blood on his face, smudging it across his cheek and hand as he hurries towards me. He places his hands on the ropes and just like his did earlier, they fall to the ground. He helps me to my feet and then places his hand on my back as he guides me towards the edge of the ship.

"Are we going to swim back to shore? When there's a war going on around us?" I hiss, dodging two pirates fighting.

"Of course not. We just need to get off this ship, then I'll do the rest." Peter replies.

"Tell me how you managed to let us get kidnapped by my past self, Mr. Magical Powers." I raise an eyebrow as Peter looks at anything but me. I gasp when I realize why he didn't fight back. "You wanted to get on the ship and see what I was like as a pirate, didn't you? I thought you didn't fight back because you didn't want to give yourself away with your type of magic… But that isn't it at all!"

"This is one of the few times you weren't influenced by me." Peter shrugs and I gasp again, only this time I stop walking to turn and slap his shoulder. "So, I was curious!"

"Curious, my butt. You just wanted to fool around with her and-," My jealously was getting the best of me despite the fact that she _is_ me when suddenly a sword comes swinging at my head. I scream and hit the deck, watching as my past self's sword gets stuck in the post behind me. She curses as she quickly tries to pull it out.

"Where do you think you're going?" She says once she finally manages the free her sword. I quickly retreat backwards and she matches my every step, a taunting grin on her face.

I search desperately for any kind of weapon when she comes charging at my again. I have no choice but to duck and crawl away behind her. She comes after me and stomps on my calf, causing pain to go shooting up my leg. I cry out and land on my side. I use all my weight to turn on my back and use my other leg to kick at her, sending her flying backwards.

Taking the opportunity, I scramble to my feet and ignore the pain in my leg. I rush to a pirate who still has a dagger embedded in his chest. It's a short dagger and won't do much good against her sword, but at least it'll be better than nothing. After all, Disney's Peter Pan used to fight Captain Hook using his dagger. Why can't I fight myself using one?

She comes at me again, screaming in rage, her sword swinging. The sword comes down and I lift the dagger to meet it when the impact is so hard it twists my wrist painfully. I cry out and drop the dagger. "Damn it." I snarl as I back away and search for another weapon.

"Hey Captain." Peter calls and we both look up to see Peter standing there, his disguise dropped. My past self drops her sword in horror, staring with wide eyes at her nightmare. She takes a few steps backwards, clearly in shock. I know it won't be long before she snaps out of it so I grab the sword she just dropped and using the hilt I hit the base of her head, knocking her to the ground unconscious. Then, Peter and I share a look and as one we rush to the edge of the ship and jump off, propelling ourselves over the railing.

We hit the freezing cold water and sink deeper into the dark depths when a bright flash of green magic lights the water and we're out of the water and back on dry land in the blink of an eye.

"Well, that was… Interesting." I mutter as I place my hands on my knees and try to catch my breath. Peter doesn't say anything and when I look up he's staring off into the distance where we can barely see the ship we just escaped. "Trust me, she's going to win that fight. I remember it." I figure he's worried so I try to reassure him.

Once again, I get no response. Instead, he chooses to walk past me, travelling into the deeper parts of the woods. His entire frame seems tense as he storms silently through the trees, he doesn't even stop to look back to see if I'm following him. Though I have so much trouble keeping up with him I'm sure he can hear me stomping around behind him.

Finally, after what seems like hours of walking and neither of us saying a single word I demand, "Ok, what's wrong with you?!"

I expect him to brush it off or not say anything, but he quickly turns around and says, "Were you really that afraid of me?"

I stop walking, and blink slowly a few times. I don't know what to say, even as I open and close my mouth a few times. "I mean… I don't… Well… I…" I shake my head once I realize I'm getting nowhere.

"As soon as I dropped my disguise your past self looked… Absolutely terrified. I've always known I intimidated you and I won't lie, I used that to my advantage a lot… And yes, maybe I'll admit that I liked scaring you in the beginning… But once our feelings for one another grew I didn't think I scared you. Do I still scare you?" He looks truly bothered by the thought.

"Peter…" I shake my head and search for the right words. "Of course, I was afraid you. You threatened me on multiple occasions and when you got angry, which was often… You were terrifying. You can't expect me to have been totally comfortable around you when you threatened my life or the life of my loved ones every five minutes."

Peter shakes his head and now it's his turn to struggle for something to say. "I'm… Not good at showing people I care about them."

"I know." I laugh a little, surprised he's bringing this up now. "I never thought you would be."

"I guess the way I showed you I cared was by trying to keep you around and all to myself… Even if the way I did it was…" He trails off and waves his hand, looking like he really doesn't want to say the next word.

"Abusive?" I supply and he looks up, shocked. But then, slowly, he nods his head. "We're both fucked up. It's why we work so well together… If you remember I tried to throw Wendy off a cliff for trying to flirt with you."

"But I let her because I knew it would drive you crazy." Peter sighs, running his fingers through his hair, causing it to stick up in several places.

"And I did a lot of things to drive you crazy… Again, it's the way we work." I approach him and cup his face with my hands. I smile gently and then place my forehead against his. "Stop worrying. I'm not scared of you anymore. I haven't been for a while."

"Good." He mutters grumpily and then he grabs my wrists and brings my hands to his lips, kissing each knuckle. "Now, let's get to Rumple's castle so we can get out of here."

"Agreed." I grumble. "I'm already reminded why I choose not to think about my past."

"I don't know, you as an evil pirate is kind of hot." Peter teases as he leads the way to the castle. I roll my eyes and smack his shoulder, which causes him to laugh. "I kind of wanted her to torture me… Maybe we should try that in bed sometime."

"Um, ok… We'll get right on that." I mutter sarcastically and snort when I see he's now wiggling his brows at me. "Keep dreaming, Peter Pan."

"You'll come around eventually." He grins.

We continue our banter until the Dark One's castle comes into view. Even though I don't practice magic myself I can feel the powerful aura radiating off of it. I glance nervously at Peter as he slowly paces back and forth, inspecting it.

"I don't think you can come with me. It'll be hard enough sneaking in on my own. I don't want to risk you coming and accidentally tripping some magical alarm." Peter explains, and I must admit I'm a little disappointed but also slightly relieved. I heard the stories of Rumplestiltskin torturing those who entered his castle uninvited. Believe it or not, just because I'm a pirate doesn't mean I cope well with torture. I can inflict torture on others, but I can hardly take it.

"So, what? Do I just wait out here?" I mutter, looking around. The forest around us is quiet, even birds refuse to sing so close to the Dark One's castle.

"Yes. I'll be out soon." Before I can reply, he disappears. I sigh and head over to a rock a few feet away. I lean against it because it's too tall for me to sit on and stare up at the sky. I watch the white, fluffy clouds roll lazily by and wish Peter would hurry up.

A snap to my left snaps me out of my haze and in an instant I've pushed away from the rock, my fingers twitching. Somehow my daggers didn't cross over with me through the portal. I don't know if I lost them in all the hustle or if weapons can't cross through a portal, but now I find myself weaponless in a very dangerous situation.

I chew on the inside of my cheek as my eyes slowly scan the forest, but I can't see anything out of the ordinary. That is, until a spear comes flying through the trees at an alarming speed, pointing at my chest with deadly accuracy. I release a high-pitched squeal and I'm barely able to dodge it, crashing to the ground with a groan of pain.

More rustling from the trees and then my past self steps out, Drake and several other members of her/my crew flanking her sides. She smiles maliciously and then takes another spear from Drake, aiming it at me.

I gasp and jump to my feet, taking off through the trees. Thankfully, the coverage of the trees offer me some protection, but for extra safety I start to run in a zig-zag pattern. I hear another spear go zooming past my head and I have to bite down on my tongue to keep myself from screaming Peter's name. It's bad enough she already saw Peter without his disguise, now she's probably jealous thinking I'm a girl he replaced her with. Even when I was trying to avoid him, I would've cut anyone into a million little pieces for going near him.

"Get back here!" I hear her scream before she throws another spear. This one gets lodged in a tree right next to my head. The impact sends bits of wood flying, hitting my face. It startles me enough that I lose my footing and tumble to the ground. My ankle twists painfully, but I don't let it stop me as I propel myself to my feet again, running as fast as I can, even with my slight limp.

I come across a pond and I look around, before jumping into the water, going under in the hope that they'll run right by the pond. I wait as long as I can before finally my lungs start to crave oxygen. I have no choice but to come up for air, but I use some of the cattails for cover. I peer through the foliage, scanning the area. Once again, the forest has gone quiet but I don't trust it.

Then someone grabs me by the hair and drags me out of the water. I scream in my pain and then I'm hit so hard over the head I see stars for a brief period until everything goes dark.

…

I wake up to a sharp pain covering my chest. As I groggily wake up I wonder briefly if I'm about to have a heart attack. But then I feel something dripping down my stomach and when I finally manage to open my eyes I see my blood coating my chest.

Immediately I lift my head to see my past self inspecting her bloody dagger and smirking at me. "Oh, good. You're awake." She says cheerfully, though I can hear the malice in her tone as well.

I look around and see that I'm back on the ship, only this time I'm in the captain's quarters and I'm hung from the ceiling by my wrists. My feet barely touch the ground, causing the ropes to cut into my skin painfully. I throw my head back and groan. "Why me?!"

"You didn't really think I was going to let you get away so easily, did you?" She blinks innocently. "No one makes a fool out of me like you did." I can see the anger in her eyes and in seconds she lashes out with her dagger again, this time cutting my arm, just below my shoulder.

I hiss at the pain and try to kick at her, but she easily steps out of range. "Seriously, what did I ever do to you?" I grumble.

"Oh, dear… I'm a villain. You don't need to do anything to me for me to want to torture and kill you." She says, grinning wickedly. "But since you asked… You went near someone you _really_ shouldn't have."

"Of course, this is a jealousy thing." I sigh heavily, resting my head against my arm that she hasn't cut.

"Where. Is. He?" She seethes. She approaches me until we're standing toe to toe. It's so strange seeing my own self so close and it's not my reflection. She looks exactly like me, of course, but there's an anger and a hurt that I haven't seen in my own reflection for a very long time. Seeing my past self proves to me I've come a long way.

"Don't know." I reply nonchalantly and try to shrug my shoulders before I remember I'm dangling from my arms and it's practically impossible.

"Did he hire you? What are you two doing together? What does he want? I'm not going back with him, if that's what he wants." She says quickly, her eyes narrowed.

"He did not hire me. I'm just trying to get home but you keep showing up and every time you're a huge inconvenience." I sound tired, which probably isn't the best tactic when I'm dealing with my extremely volatile past self.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She replies mockingly. "Is this inconvenient?" She slashes her dagger across my stomach, ripping open my shirt. As blood drips onto the wooden floor beneath our feet, my past self watches it with an evil smile.

"You're a real bitch, you know that?" I ask her grudgingly.

She raises an eyebrow and then slices at my other arm, this time barely missing my face. I jerk my head back and narrow my eyes furiously. I start to thrash back and forth, desperately hoping the ropes binding me to my spot will break.

"Struggle all you want. It's really no use." She sighs, inspecting her dagger as she tries to appear bored. "You might as well accept this will end with your death. However, the faster you tell me what I want to know, the quicker your death will be. Less torture." She flashes her teeth at me and suddenly I get the impression of a wolf taunting her prey.

"Why are you so obsessed with torturing me?" I grumble. Obviously, I know the answer but I'm hoping if I keep her talking it'll give Peter more time to figure out what happened to me and come rescue me.

"Because you're trying to take what's mine." She snarls.

"No, I'm really not!" I insist. If only she knew that we're the same person and what's mine is hers.

"Then why are you with him? Peter Pan doesn't keep women around unless he wants something from them. You're moderately decent looking… We haven't seen each other in a while. He could be getting lonely."

"Seriously, you have nothing to worry about." I try again, but it seems like I'm talking to a brick wall. I tilt my head to the side and ask the question I've always wondered but never been able to admit to myself. "He treats you like trash… Obviously you're no saint either, but you're a hell of a lot better than him… Why do you care so much if he moved on from you?"

"He's… All I have. He gave me a home and a family. If I didn't have him… I'd have no one." She says quietly and I'm surprised she is so willing to confess. "Just because I left doesn't mean I never want to go home… But I won't be able to go home if you take my place."

"Trust me, I do not want to take your place." She seems to contemplate my words but doesn't say anything.

"Tell me what I want to know." She says after a few minutes of silence. "Answer my questions and maybe I'll let you live."

"I can't answer any of your questions because I don't know the answer to any of them!" I cry desperately. "I don't know what he wants with you and I don't even know where he is."

"You're lying!" She shouts, her face turning pink with anger. "You're trying to take him from me, just admit it already!" Her face is inches from mine as she inspects my face closely. I wince, averting my eyes because even though I know I still look like the disguise Peter gave me, I worry she'll somehow recognize me.

"Oh, if only you knew." I snort and then immediately wish I didn't open my big mouth. Her expression transforms before my eyes, turning into one of pure rage as she raises her dagger high above her head. I have no doubt that she's preparing to unleash a fatal blow and I close my eyes, readying myself, but the blow never comes.

I open my eyes and Peter is standing there, holding her wrist. His disguise is dropped again and my past self seems to drink in every feature. Finally, she jerks away and with her chest heaving she points between the two of us. "Who the hell is she, Peter? Huh?! How could you just replace me? Do I really mean that little to you? Do you really think some cheap red head will be better than me?"

"Hey!" I exclaim, and then purse my lips when Peter gives me a look. I don't know why I'm even offended. It's not like my disguise is what I actually look like.

"Oh, Karina…" Peter whispers as he slowly advances on her. "You have no idea… I will never love anyone like I love you." He cups her chin and then their lips connect. A shimmer goes through the air and then she collapses to the ground, unconscious.

Peter takes her dagger and cuts me down wordlessly. He catches me as I stumble and rubs his hand soothingly over my wrists. "What did you do?" I ask curiously.

"I made her forget everything that happened. Her crew will forget with her. But I hope she remembers how much I love her." Peter mutters, looking sadly at my past self crumbled in a heap on the floor.

"Don't worry, she does." I reassure him and we smile faintly at one another.

"Come on, it's time for us to go home." Peter throws the potion and a portal opens, looking ominous. He grabs my hand and leads me to it, we step inside and it swallows behind us, leaving behind our past.

…

The portal opens and violently throws us to the ground. I cry out as the cuts my past self gave me are ripped open by my harsh contact with the ground. I roll onto my back and groan as I really wish I could die right here and now.

But then the portal opens again and I scramble backwards, terrified it's going to drag us back in. Peter seems surprised that it has opened again as well, and he raises his hand, as if to cast a spell, when two more bodies are thrown out, landing on top of us.

"OW!" I shout. I try to shove the body off of me when I look up and realize it's my father. "Papa? W-What?" I look and see Emma quickly scrambling off of Peter.

"You two were sucked into the portal too?" Emma asks incredulously.

"Yea, and I was tortured by my evil past self." I moan as my father gets to his feet and then helps me to mine. "Where were you guys the whole time?"

"Trying to reset my parents first meeting… After we messed it up." Emma replies sheepishly. I raise an eyebrow and look back and forth between the two.

"Well, it seems like we've all got a lot to share."

 **A/N:** Next chapter will be the epilogue… I had someone ask if I plan to do the prequel that was discussed at the beginning of this story… As of right now, my answer is unfortunately no, I do not have plans for that. But it's not a definite no, yet. I'm in my final year of university so I am very busy all the time. Who knows? Maybe when I'm on my next break in a few more months I'll want to revisit this story. I do love Karina a lot and I enjoy writing this story, but my busy schedule won't allow me to write the prequel as of right now. I apologize if this disappoints anyone.

The epilogue will be up tomorrow. Please take a moment to review!


	20. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Once Upon a Time or its characters or plot ideas. The only things I own in this story are my own ideas and my own characters.

 **~ Epilogue ~**

With the final preparations being completed to leave Storybrooke for good I find myself feeling suddenly nostalgic. I tell Peter and the others that I'll be back soon and take off, walking the quiet, dark streets of Storybrooke one final time.

I pass by Granny's, and Dr. Hopper's office, as well as the clock tower and Gold's shop. I arrive at my apartment building and simply look up at the tall, red-brick building, watching as lights are turned on and off in the rooms up above. I smile faintly and continue on my way, walking by the sheriff's station and the mayor's office, and then I finally pass by Emma and her parents apartment. I know they all must be inside, my father included, but something holds me back.

It's strange for me to walk through town and feel like a stranger on the outside looking in. I know once I leave for Neverland, if I ever come back that feeling will be even worse. While this town was my home for just about thirty years, it is no longer my home and it's time for me to go. However, even knowing this it doesn't stop me from feeling sad about saying goodbye.

This town forced me to face many situations I never imagined. A lot happened here and it changed me. I'm not the same person I was when I first woke up from Regina's curse and I have this town and the people within it to thank for it. Despite our differences, it doesn't feel right leaving without saying goodbye.

With that thought in mind, I take a deep breath and then push through the door, into Mary Margaret's apartment building. I slowly head up the stairs, wringing my fingers I take a deep breath and then knock on the door.

Henry opens the door, and for a moment his face erupts into a large grin and then he notices the look on my face and his smile falls. "You're leaving now, aren't you?" He asks sadly, his face pale.

"Yea, I just came to say goodbye." I say and he steps back, letting me into the apartment. As expected Emma, her parents, my father and Regina are sitting around the island in the kitchen. My father looks sick, having overheard Henry he already knows why I'm here.

"Karina." Emma says, straightening from her place leaning on the counter. "I'm glad you stopped by."

"Really?" I ask, raising a brow. Emma being glad to see me is something I didn't expect.

"Yes." Emma smiles faintly as she walks towards me. She wraps her arm around Henry's shoulders and pulls him close. "I know you're leaving and I wanted to make sure I got to say goodbye."

"We all wanted to say goodbye." Mary Margaret clarifies. She's also smiling at me, somewhat timidly and I have to appreciate this group trying their best to be civil. Despite all the bad blood between us now, we used to be allies and perhaps one day we will be again.

"Well, that's why I stopped by. I didn't feel right leaving without a few goodbyes here and there." I walk over to Mary Margaret who is cradling her son in her arms. "Besides, I _really_ want to know what you named your son. Belle told me it's probably something I want to hear."

Shortly after arriving back at the ship I was bombarded with other townspeople coming to say goodbye. Granny, Ruby, Belle, Archie, the dwarves… Many people I befriended but lost contact with after Peter's curse came to say goodbye and I was surprised by how emotional it was. But it was good to be able to say goodbye. When Belle and I were speaking she told me I should find out what Snow White and Prince Charming named their son before I go because "it would really interest me".

I bring myself back to reality with a shake of my head and smile down at the infant, wiggling a finger at him. This causes him to smile, his brown eyes wide with excitement at seeing a new face. "Hi baby." I say joyfully.

"I guess you missed the coronation…" David mutters, and I try to hide my smile as I think: _only missed it because I never received an invite._ I don't voice my thoughts though because I don't want to start anything when we're finally getting along, even if it this entire situation is tense.

"We named him after a hero, who saved all our lives, including yours." Mary Margaret says softly, watching my reaction. I raise an eyebrow and gesture for her to continue. "We named him Neal."

As if I was just punched in the gut all the air in my lungs escapes me and then all at once it comes back to me with a surge of emotions. Tears spring to my eyes as I stare down at the little boy. "It's a good name." I whisper, thinking of my fallen friend who I never got to properly say goodbye to. "I'm sure Neal is honored."

The others smile at me but say nothing as they allow me to process my thoughts quietly. Once I feel like I have control of my emotions I take a few steps away from baby Neal and look around the room. I examine everyone's faces, drinking in their features one last time.

"When are you leaving?" My father asks, the first time he's spoken since I've entered the room. He looks like he's hoping I'll say 'never', but he should know better than to get his hopes up for that.

"Soon. Like I said, I just came to say goodbye." I take a deep breath and start the speech I've been preparing my entire walk here. "Before I go, I want to say that I know we haven't been getting along recently, and I know we all have a lot of differences, but I want you all to know that I will always appreciate the time we did spend together. I grew up, lost and alone. A lost girl. Over the years I came across so many people who became family to me… So now, I'm not so lost and alone. I want to thank all of you for being a part of that family. Again, I know we haven't been getting along lately and there's been a lot of hurt and betrayal on both sides, and I know things may never be the same between us, but I just have to say thank you."

"You're welcome, Karina." Emma says, speaking for the group. "And you're right, there has been a lot of hurt and betrayal on both sides. But I want you to know that we're still here for you. We will always be here for you because you have done so much for us. If it weren't for you, Henry and I wouldn't be standing here today. On that note, I also want to say I'm sorry for the way we've been treating you. You were right, we've all done things we aren't proud of and exiling you for the things you've done isn't right. People change, and you certainly have."

I smile, surprised by Emma's genuine apology, but pleased that we're ending everything on a positive note. After Emma's speech I hug each of them, even Regina, who almost looks sad to see me go.

Once I've finished hugging the others I turn to Henry who has tears streaming down his cheeks. He launches himself at me, hugging me tightly. I hold onto him as hard as I dare, tears coming to my own eyes as reality hits me and I realize this will probably be the last time I see him. "You will always be my big sister." Henry whispers in my ears and his words bring out so much emotion in me I'm barely able to conceal my loud sob.

"And you'll always be my little brother." I say once we pull away. I wipe at his tears with my thumb as he wipes at mine. We hug one more time and this time I whisper in his ear, "I promise you that we will see each other again. This isn't the end."

"It better not be." He replies, his voice muffled by my shoulder.

I step away from him and turn to face my father who already has tears in his eyes, but he tries to hide it with his usual charming grin. He gestures to the door, "Shall we go for a walk?" I nod my head and we leave the apartment, waving and saying a few last-minute goodbyes before the door shuts firmly behind us.

We walk silently down the stairs, the tension between us is thick until we reach the dark streets and he places his hand on my elbow, stopping me. "You have no idea how much I'm going to miss you." He mutters, looking over my head as he tries desperately to keep his emotions in check. "I just found you… Again… And yet, it seems every time I find you, I lose you just as quickly."

"I know." I whisper. "But like I told Henry, this isn't the end. I'll make sure of it. Thanks to you, I'm not a lost girl anymore. I may be the queen of the lost ones, but I myself am no longer lost. You gave me the best thing ever when you showed up and forced your way back into my life. I was angry and tried to fight you as hard as I could, but you never gave up. Thank you for that. Now I can go back to Neverland, knowing I have a dad who loves me."

"Well, we Jones' are pretty stubborn." He smirks and I laugh, nodding my head as I agree with him. "I love you, Karina. Good luck in Neverland. Make sure you put the mermaids in their place."

"Oh, I plan to. The Queen of Neverland is back, bitches." I flash a wide grin and he chuckles. "I love you too, papa." I hold onto his one good hand with mine, squeezing tightly before I start walking backwards. I hold onto his hand as long as possible before enough distance between us forces me to let go. I continue to back up, waving goodbye as tears stream down both our cheeks. Finally, I blow him one last kiss and head back to the harbour.

As I make my way back to the ship I try to regain control of my emotions, wiping at my cheeks several times and sniffling. When I finally arrive, no one looks twice at my face and I think it's out of respect. Nobody wants to openly stare at their captain with her red eyes and dripping nose.

Peter approaches me, smiling sympathetically. I take his hand and squeeze tightly. "Have you said all your goodbyes?"

"Not yet… There's still one more…. Did you make that extra traveling potion I asked for?" I asked Peter to make the potion while I was saying my goodbyes.

"Yes, though I don't know why you want it… We only need the one to get to Neverland." Peter says, looking unsure he fishes a bottle from his pocket and shows it to me. I take it from him and then climb one of the railing, calling the crew to attention.

"Can I have everyone's attention please?" The joking and conversations all come to a complete stop as everyone turns to look at me. "I want to thank you all for working so hard to get the ship ready to sail… I'm sure she's going to look beautiful once she's back out on the water…. It's a shame I won't be there to see it."

Muttering arises from the crowd and even Peter looks confused as he looks at me and then Drake who shakes his head, showing he has no clue either.

"Please. Be quiet." I raise my hand and the muttering stops. "I promised you all when I took this ship back from Joseph that I would bring you all fame and riches, and we'd strike fear in the hearts of others… But I've been thinking about it a lot and I've come to the conclusion that I'm no longer the best fit for that job. I want to go home, to Neverland, which is not a suitable place for pirates to do what they are meant to do. Therefore, I'm handing the role as captain over to someone who I know will do right by all of you… That person is: Drake Ryley!"

Drake seems shocked and so does the rest of the crew until slowly they start to clap, cheering on Drake. He quickly approaches me, "What are you doing? I'm not meant to be captain. You are!"

I jump down from the railing and place my hand on his arm. "I don't want to be captain anymore, Drake. It's time I go home and focus on myself, rather than everything else. I know you'll be the best captain to ever live, besides me, of course." I smirk at his shocked appearance.

"Captain… I…" He whispers, shaking his head.

"Just accept my goodbye gift, Drake." I snort. "No one is more deserving. You remained loyal to me when everyone else turned their backs on me. Giving you my ship and crew is the least I can do to say thank you. I just hope if I ever need you again, you'll be there."

"Of course I will. You will always be my captain." He kneels before me and takes me hand, kissing my knuckles. "Thank you."

"Rise, Drake. Please." I help him to his feet and then he envelopes me into a large bear hug. As he's twirling me around the deck I whisper in his ear, "You know, you should really consider asking Felix to join you. He may be shy about it now but I think he'll really grow to like you."

"Would Peter Pan really accept me taking away his lieutenant?" Drake asks, raising an eyebrow as he looks over my head. I turn and see he actually directed the question at Peter who has approached us from behind.

"If Felix wants to go, he can. I won't stop him." Peter replies maturely and I smile proudly at him.

"Look at you being all mature." I tease and Peter rolls his eyes as he wraps his arm around my waist.

"Besides, I would love for us to have alone time for once." Peter says suggestively, wiggling his brows.

"Do you forget the lost boys that were left behind who are still in Neverland?" I raise an eyebrow.

Peter's eyes widen and then he swears. I laugh as I realize that he truly did forget about them and me reminding him of them just ruined his good mood.

Felix approaches us and raises an eyebrow at Peter's colourful language, "What's wrong with him?" He asks, jerking a thumb at Peter.

"He just realized we won't be alone in Neverland after all." I tell him, smiling.

"Of course you won't… I'll be there." He replies, looking between the three of us, confused.

I look at Drake as he begins to smile slyly. He places his arm over Felix's shoulders and starts to lead him away, "About that…"

After they walk away the rest of my crew start to file in to say their goodbyes. A few of the men even shake Peter's hand, which surprises him, but he doesn't mention anything in front of them. Some of the men try to give Peter "protective, big brother speeches" which only amuses Peter and myself.

Finally comes the time for us to leave. Felix ended up deciding to stay with Drake. I give them the potion Peter made so they can leave Storybrooke and go to the Enchanted Forest or wherever they feel like going. Already having said goodbye to Drake I grab Felix for a tight hug, holding him close. "Goodbye my dear friend. Make sure you keep Drake in line." I point a finger at him warningly.

"I could say the same to you about him." Felix smirks, nodding at Peter. I can practically feel Peter roll his eyes at Felix. Despite Peter's annoyance over Felix's comment it doesn't stop the two boys from showing a rare moment of companionship as they embrace. Peter slaps Felix on the back a few times as Felix says, "Goodbye Pan."

"Goodbye Felix." Peter replies, slowly stepping away from his most loyal lost boy. He grabs my hand and looks at me. "Are you ready?" I nod my head, my heart pounding in my chest over all the excitement. He pulls the vial with the potion inside it from his pocket and with one easy throw, he launches it through the air and into the water ahead of us. The portal opens, creating a huge gust of wind all around us.

"Time to go home." I say to no one in particular. Peter's grip on my hand tightens and with a deep breath from both of us we run and jump off the boat, straight into the portal.

We arrive in Neverland, and the portal spits us out onto the beach, much like the last portal we traveled through did. I look around and laugh gleefully when I realize the island hasn't changed a single bit despite the fact that Peter's magic no longer fuels the island.

"I can't believe it looks the same." Peter mutters, voicing my thoughts as he looks around. I rush at him and launch myself into his arms, kissing him passionately. My emotions are on overdrive now that I'm finally home and everything is exactly the way I want it.

Suddenly, we hear the hunting call of the lost boys and we look up to see several lost boys standing further down the beach from us. "Is that Peter Pan?" We hear one boy ask incredulously.

"And Karina?" Another asks. Excited cheering fills the air and then the group of lost boys are racing towards us, their feet kicking up the sand behind them.

Peter looks at me, his eyes alight with mischief and I bite my lip, trying to hold my own excitement at bay. Finally, he says the words I've been waiting to hear him say for ages: "Let's play."

 **A/N:** And there you have it, this story has officially come to an end. I was very torn on how I was going to do the epilogue, but I decided in the end to have Karina say goodbye to everyone and the person she was so she can embrace who she is now. I also couldn't end the story with her being on bad terms with people she cared a lot about in the first book.

I would like to take a moment to thank each and every person who supported me not only for this story but the one that came before it. All the love, support and feedback was truly amazing and I can't thank all of you enough. I hope you all enjoyed reading about Karina's journey and I hope to one day come back and do a prequel. But for now, this is where it has to end. Thank you all again.

Please take a moment to review.


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